Absolution
by Empress Lightyear
Summary: Back again! A story about Zurg, Warp and Team Lightyear. Romance ahead.
1. The escape

**Author's notes: I have never seen a single episode of the series BLoSC, so I don't guarantee that all the characters are in character. I still hope you enjoy reading this. **

Special thanks for ideas and encouragement to EJ and Captain Buzz Lightyear and Mira Elizabeth.

Buzz Lightyear of Star Command © Disney/Pixar

Han Solo, Millennium Falcon, ect. © Lucasfilm

Thanks also to: Robyn

**Absolution**

Beautiful, orange-lilac sunset enfolded the homes of Tangea in its brilliant luster. The streets were empty –only one silly old man sat on the steps of a detached-house and followed the silently descending darkness. He closed his eyes and smirked: finally there was peace in the galaxy.

Nearly ninety thousand Tangeans had gathered to celebrate the victory of the Galactic Alliance into King Nova's palace. King Nova had arranged grand festivities for the whole night. Evil Emperor Zurg was finally defeated, and that was really a matter to rejoice! 

What's more, not a single Tangean had got hurt in the battle. It had namely been Commander Nebula's great idea to use the Jelly-guns – a weapon that Emperor Zurg had invented himself but abandoned because of it being too mild. Two months ago, Team Lightyear found the guns from a fallen Z-cruiser. 

The Jelly-gun was ideal for conquering planet Z, because only one gun could produce over a hundred thousand cubic meters dark-green jelly at a time, consisting of gum, glue, moles, apple-juice and gelatin, and that stuff literally jammed Zurg's whole defense system. When using two hundred such guns, it was no wonder that planet Z was covered with the jelly all over in three hours, and two meters deep at least. The same was done to Warp's moon and the Auto-defense moon, and all the enemies were soon captured inside the shaking and dancing jelly. It had been real fun for Mira and the others to cut Zurg and his henchmen out of it.

But now it was time to relax. Emperor Zurg, as well as Warp Darkmatter and three thousand other evil fellows were now sitting in a prison. After some time, they would go trough a "back-to-good" –program, except Zurg, who was planned to put in sight in the museum, behind a bullet-proof glass and titanium bars. 

-- -- --

In King Nova's palace, the celebrating was in full run. Along a stole, deep-blue velvet carpet, which was unfurled in the middle of the forum, were walking five very different-sized figures. They were the main target of thundering applause and cheering. They were Team Lightyear and their leader. Commander Nebula, Buzz Lightyear and Mira Nova led the group and Booster followed with XR near behind.

"We are true heroes now, Buzz!" Mira whispered, and her smile nearly reached her ears.

"I know. This is the day I have always been dreaming of." Buzz smiled back.

King Nova himself was waiting on the other end of the carpet. He looked very solemn in his lime-green toga. He had put an extra effort to mold his whiskers sharp and shiny. 

"Daddy!" Mira laughed and ran into his father's arms.

"My precious little daughter! How proud I am of you!" The King was very touched.

"Your majesty King Nova." Buzz and Commander Nebula kneeled in front of the two royalties. Somehow, their voices sounded very respectful and humble, which made XR steal a side-glance at them in wonder. Then also he tried to bow a little, when Buzz jostled him with his foot. As to Booster, he only succeeded to tangle up with his feet and smash down. But luckily nobody cared; he was a hero now, as well as the rest of the Team.

The King began to speak. He declared with the most important and moved voice:

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you – the saviors of our galaxy!"

Thundering applause and whistling filled the hall again. Buzz felt very proud. King Nova continued:

"Tonight is the first night we can sleep calmly. Emperor Zurg and his evil apprentices are all locked safely behind strong iron doors. They are in the cellars of Ydna's Castle."

A chill went along Mira's back; she could not think of the place without horror. Ydna was a dark and misty mountain, quite near the palace; and from it's eerie shadows rose the castle –the most terrifying place of the universe, with cold, humid cells, slimy Imukala-worms climbing all over the walls, Shello-rats biting the feet of every prisoner. Mira shivered once more, but then concentrated again to her father's speech.

King Nova now leaned his hand on Buzz' shoulder:

"We are indebted to these five heroes: Buzz Lightyear, Commander Nebula, XR, Booster –and my brave daughter Mira Nova!"

The audience hoorayed again.

"Tonight, the biggest party of the galaxy will be arranged! Everyone is invited in to my castle! The whole Tangea must rejoice with me!"

XR could not help wondering why the King spoke so funnily. Of course the whole Tangea was celebrating. Of course everybody would come to the King's palace –they were already there. And everybody knew their names already, so why to repeat them?

However, the audience could not have wished better words from their King; the applause and the cries of joy echoed everywhere. Commander Nebula was nearly moved to tears. King Nova continued energetically, to make his own voice hear again: 

"And as to our heroes: they may choose their reward themselves. I will do everything to make their wishes come true."

Buzz could not help a shining smile spreading all over his face. At first he thought of building a summer house on some of the three beautiful planets in the Möhköfantti System. But then his eyes got a new kind of gleam: he would ask the best researchers to find out what ever happened to his father thirty years ago. And this time King Nova could not prevent that with any idiotic excuse; he had just promised in front of almost hundred thousand people that he would make Buzz' any wish come true. 

Mira laughed out loud when hearing his father's words. She could not help jumping joyfully in the air. She knew exactly what she wanted: the newest model of the Space Speeder 5001, the red one, with white leather seats and a shower in the cargo room.

XR seemed to be rather calm –after all, as a robot, he did not know how to cry for happiness. Instead, he mumbled silently by himself: "At least I will ask for a robot woman. Surely I will. I find these flesh-and-blood –chicks rather hard to please most of the time!"

Booster had no bigger wishes than a good lunch; some might think him a very modest man. But when his favorite meal consisted of fifty hundred sneak tongues, flamed Otsapahka-frog's legs, a bucket of whipped cream and Siimahäntä fillet-beef, it was after all by no means easy to provide. Especially when Booster needed a triple portion.

-- -- --

The cellars of Ydna's Castle truly were dark, humid and dirty. Warp and Emperor Zurg shared the same small cell, which was of course heavily guarded. They had one, half-burnt candle as a light, when no sunlight ever reached the place, and they had to sit on wet straw. Two rat-alike creatures –most likely poisonous Shello's –fought in the corner. Warp scared them away with a snap of his right-arm scythes. He looked very somber.

"What is this, Emperor? I thought Planet Z was impossible to conquer!"

"So did I. But I never imagined that the Galactic Alliance would find the Jelly-weapons –and be clever enough to use them against me! It angers me to know that they defeated me with my own invention. Those stupid Tangeans! Those plagiarists!" Zurg was enormously vexed.

"Did you see what happened to my moon?"

"No, but I suppose they did the same there than what they did at Z. You know, it eats a man to see the empire in such condition –every place four feet deep in green, sticky jelly! I wonder if my beautiful Z-tower can ever be properly cleaned up!"

"Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore. This homely cell will be your empire from now on."

Zurg did not say a word –for the first time in many, many years he was at a loss what to do.

They sat still for a long time. The candle cast shadows all around the little room, and the atmosphere was somehow unreal. The little candle-flame reflected from Warp's glinting eyes and made him look very sad. Zurg had his helmet still on. He had pressed his head down and breathed heavily. 

"At least they didn't get my riches… I am still a rich man –that is, if I ever get out of here."

"What do you mean rich?" Warp glanced at him carefully, "I thought they confiscated all the fortune you had."

"Wrong! They did not know –and still don't – that I have thousands of billions of uni-bucks hidden in safe places on dozens of moons and planets. Nobody but me knows where they can be found."

Warp gave a respectful "gee".

They both imagined in their mind what they could do with that money if they only got out of the jail.

After two silent minutes, Zurg abruptly stood up and whispered keenly:

"Darkmatter?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you hear that laughter?"

Warp listened. Zurg was right, something unusual was happening outside.  
"What is that shindy?"

"The Tangeans must be celebrating their victory. It sounds like fireworks!"

"At Ydna? The guards must have gone crazy!" 

The two men looked at each other. Yes, the moment was now or never.

Warp trotted behind the iron door and yelled for the guard. No answer. He banged the door –but no-one came to ask what was the matter. 

"It seems that the guards have gone somewhere!"

"Fast, come here! I managed to slip a new-ground crystal in the little secret pocket of my uniform. Let's fit it up into your arm!"

Warp stretched out his right arm to Zurg who dug out the little piece of crystal. 

"Whee! Don't break it!"

"But how do we open the chamber? I have no proper tools!"

"Darn! But hey, there is a water-pot in the corner! I think it is made of aluminium! Maybe you could…"

"Give me five seconds!"

The Emperor went to get the pot. He eyed it for a moment and then crunched it between his fists. After a while, he had twisted it into a flat, strong, chisel-like tool.

"Bring your arm closer."

Zurg installed the crystal in three minutes.

"Now, if your weapon works again –shoot that door open! It is not unbreakable, I think."

Warp turned his arm to a little missile launcher and targeted his shoot towards the hinges. A thundering explosion took place. Trough the thick smoke, the freedom could finally be seen. 

"Come fast!"

"This was not a long visit, I see!"

"Stop blabbering, Warp, and come already!"

They managed to slip away from the castle easily. The explosion had taken place just when King Nova self had launched a big rocket, and therefore nobody had paid attention to it. Zurg saw a little, shadowy lane in the left, and headed there. At the end of it, were stairs that seemed to lead to the upper floors of the castle.

"I think the launch deck is somewhere there, Zurg. What is your plan? I think it is full of guards."

"Leave it to me… Look, Darkmatter, there is the Millennium Falcon! Hope the hyper-drive is in function…"

"What?"

"Never mind, just…follow me. We are going to borrow that vehicle for a while. Now… jump in, quick!"

And so did the two evil partners leave Tangea. They did not see the terrified expression of a man who had just stepped out of the Falcon, in order to see the fireworks.

Zurg decided to head towards the Angel System. There was a particular forest moon which he remembered to be quite perfect place to hide: Naboor. 

---

Mira Nova was combing her hair in front of a mirror. She seemed to have sunk in her own blue eyes and hummed a sweet melody. She did not see or hear anything. She was in love.

"Han… you make my heart light as a feather… make my eyes go wider… make me smile…" she sang.

XR and Booster just happened to walk by her door and hear this.

"Gee…", XR whispered, "I hope Mr. Solo is not here to hear that. He would laugh his lungs out."

Booster grinned. They continued their way and soon disappeared behind a corner. Mira rose up and walked to her wardrobe.

"And what should I put on tonight? Indeed, a party… where also _he is coming… I want him to see me at my best. Oh, there is my pink evening dress!", Mira spoke aloud, "This will just charm him!"_

She danced about the floor, the dress in her arms, and giggled. She was completely in love. When she had got it on, she went to search for a pair of shoes. 

"Tral-la-laa… these lilac sandals with five-inch heels will just perfectly enhance my figure! And where are my jewels… there, my beautiful earrings and bracelets. And this silver necklace gives me an air of a sophisticated lady!"

Just when she had finished her outfit and was evaluating herself via a mirror, somebody knocked at the door. Mira thought it would be Han Solo and nearly jumped in the arms of Booster.

"Good gracious, Mira! What are you…? Never mind, I know already. But I must beg you to follow me now, quickly! Pack your knapsack, only the essential stuff."

"What is the matter?"

"No time to explain. Just pack and come! No, not that brush! Hurry!"

Mira was on her way to the starship hall before she even knew. She tried to keep up with Booster and was afraid to break her ankles when half running with her high heels.

"What is all this, Booster? I thought we were going to have a party…!"

"Your father the King just announced that Emperor Zurg and Warp Darkmatter have escaped."

"What?!"

"And we are now sent to find and imprison them again."

Booster nearly threw Mira into their starship and closed the door behind.

"Go, Buzz, go!"

"Oh, this is so annoying! I wanted to have some fun tonight, not to go for a joy-ride with you guys!" Mira looked like a stubborn bull, ready to fight –but was more close to cry. 

Buzz did not say a thing. He was actually quite amused of the fact that Mira was at their haunting trip with only high-heeled sandals and evening-dress on. 


	2. Behind the disguise

((The first chapter was fixed a bit before downloading this.))

Naboor –the fifth forest moon of planet Angelica – was not one of the biggest in size. It was something between Cattle and Sullet in the Wix Teller system, and more than seventy percent of its surface was water. The rest was forests, meadowland, shoreline, swamps and high mountains with snowy peaks. 

It was not entirely isolated from the civilization and development –but the tribes that lived there were more or less, some might say, a little ancient. They lived in peace with the nature, built their homes from wood or dug them inside the ground, and ate mostly what nature provided them with. They used new technology only if it didn't hurt the delicate ecosystem. And they lived very happily. There was only one thing that made their lives less perfect: Emperor Zurg's continuing tyrannizing.

It namely happened twice a year that the Emperor sent a team to collect -that is to rob- over a half of the harvest that the tribes could produce. It was a heavy blow, especially to those who lived near the coastline or the mountains and had very little good land for cultivation. But the Emperor was too powerful to be resisted; and as the time went by, the tribes got used to the fact that they supported also ten thousand Empire soldiers besides themselves. 

It was late spring when the Millennium Falcon dived into Naboor's atmosphere, after two day's flight. The day was thirty-seventh of the Koivunuha month, and the nature had just began to blossom.

Warp and Zurg sighed in relief as they landed safely on a meadow, which actually was a sea of trillions of bright-colored flowers. Millennium Falcon seemed like a gigantic Frisbee there. Nobody had followed the two runaways –not yet, at least.

"Let's find out if there is anything useful in the cargo. We must walk quite a long journey." Zurg's voice wheezed from behind his mask. "At least I must take this darn space-emperor-suite off and have trousers! This helmet and this thick frock are so hot that I cannot possibly walk a hundred meters with them!" 

"You can get your mask off?", Warp was amazed, "I never knew."

"Why, I never take it off, except when I am alone and going to sleep."

Warp followed curiously as Zurg began to open the thing -he chose to work with some pressure buttons near the neck.

"Sometimes, like now, I really hate this tight helmet! I need to breathe real air for a while!"

Zurg had little difficulties in removing the thing, which left Warp a great deal time to muse what the Emperor would look like. How old he would be? Was he handsome? What color his skin was? Was he a human being at all? At least he was tall and sturdy.

"Ah, I feel better already!" Zurg smiled when he finally got the mask off. He threw it carelessly into the corner. He stretched his muscular arms and gave a long yawn.

"Now, let's go out to get some fresh air!"

Warp, however, did not move from his spot. He only stared at the Emperor.

Emperor Zurg was in his late forties or early fifties. He had a thick hair, sideburns and chin-beard, all of them ebon black. His eyes were dark coffee-brown and rather sharp. Warp also marked his features rather proud and majestic, which made the emperor look actually quite handsome, although not perfect.

"What are you staring at, Darkmatter? Have you not ever seen a middle-aged, white-skinned man?" Zurg laughed. "Or did you expect to see a monster of some kind? Like Sulley? Mwa ha ha!"

"To tell the truth, I did not have a slightest clue what you would look like."

"I know. You are the first person to see my real face in… twenty-five, thirty years. Is there something funny in me, or why are you looking at me so surprised?" 

"Well… at least your voice has changed! It is like… deeper and huskier than before. Almost scary! You do not sound like you, anymore."

Zurg gave him an amused glance,

"True, my voice is not naturally so ludicrous than what you have used to hear. But look at me, I am as pale as a snow flake!" Zurg eyed himself from a little mirror that Warp had given him, "I cannot get any sun trough that disguise. I should not wear it anymore."

"Well, despite that you are so pale, you look nearly as handsome as I do!" Warp grinned, "Whee, we must go to a bar together sometime, to see if there are some pretty chicks available…"

Zurg then removed also the rest of his suit. Warp saw that his body truly was well built. The Emperor was literally a powerful man. But there was also something in his looks that Warp could not help wondering.

"Emperor, you remind me of someone… I mean… You look very familiar to me." 

Zurg turned around almost abruptly and scowled at him:

"For the sake of dark forces, what are you blabbering, Marshall Darkmatter? Now, do something useful, find some food in the cargo room, for instance!"

Ah, Zurg was not willing to discuss about his looks! Why would that be? Warp would not certainly give up so easily,

"You haven't had a wife, ever?" He stole a glance at the Emperor who seemed to get bothered –and did not answer. Warp was amused:

"You know, now that we are here just the two of us, you could tell me a secret. Why do you hate Buzz Lightyear so much?"

"Do I really have to talk about this with only my underwear on? I suggest that also you take that heavy red devil suit off and stop questioning me." Zurg looked a little annoyed and also melancholy. It was new for Warp to see his emotions and expressions so clearly. Something warned Warp not to go further on the subject, at present.

"Alright, Izzo… What ever you tell."

As Zurg had gone into the cargo room to find some new clothes, Warp sat down, sighing deep. A strange idea had struck his mind. Emperor Zurg looked somewhat like Buzz Lightyear, only some thirty years older. Could Zurg possibly be the missing father of Buzz? No, that could not be… But yet, if he thought of it, it seemed not so impossible after all. How odd. Warp kicked his boots off his feet and began to open his uniform. 

"There is something very mystic in this all. And I will find out the truth. I will."

…..to be continued…….


	3. The chase begins

In 42, the atmosphere had calmed down pretty soon after Tangea had disappeared from sight. Booster had immediately gone into the cargo room to take a secret nap. XR had found a spare space suit for Mira who had shivered from cold; it had namely been not so warm in the starship with only a light dress on. 

Buzz had consulted about their destination with Commander Nebula, via the wrist communicator. It was a real drawback that the space-ship, which Zurg and Warp had stolen, seemed to have some kind of interferator shield that prevented the following of the energy tracks.

Commander Nebula had suggested that they should check out the planet Saunamakkara. At first Buzz had protested; it was so far away and so odd. Why would Emperor Zurg have gone there? But then the Commander had pointed out:

"Remember the time when Warp was still our friend -or the time when we thought so. He often amused us by telling about some friends on that distant planet. Don't you remember? According to his words, those friends had very funny customs -like eating some food called 'mämmi' in the spring –but which looked more like –well, poo."

Buzz remembered and gave a laugh, as the pleasant memories filled his mind for a moment. Well, at least Saunamakkara would be a good place to start.

And now, after two and half days, Team Lightyear was finally in the outskirts of their destination planet. It was a place of thousands of clear-watered lakes and thick coniferous forests. Its inhabitants were rather silent and peculiar, at least totally different from the most common races, like Tangeans and so on. As to their behavior, they were somewhat barbaric-like, but the truth was that their technology and knowledge was far more advanced than what was the general level.

42 landed on a soft hummock-land, at some 50 feet distance from a large wooden house. All the rangers stepped out carefully, and felt for the atmosphere. The sun was quite low, but warmed their faces still pleasantly. A sudden blow of wind waved Mira's long hair in the air.

"How peaceful and harmonic", she whispered, closed her eyes and smiled.

"Hmph, we have a mission to accomplish, here! Let us not get sentimental!" XR murmured, as if he would have known what true sentimentality was.

"Let's go and ask if somebody in that house has seen or heard about Warp and Zurg", Buzz suggested.

The Team began to walk along a narrow path, which was covered with needles of fir and some pine twigs. Soon they got into the garden and Buzz headed straight towards the front door. The others followed him slowly and some way behind; they did not like the silence that suddenly was around them. Only one distant nightingale sang its longing tweet. 

Buzz ringed the doorbell four times, only to understand that there was nobody to open. 

"Where can everybody be?" wondered XR, "It is too late to be out anymore  –nearly eight p.m. Uh, at least I would not venture into those shadowy forests at this time; these are very dangerous grounds, you see."

"Oh, don't scare us, XR. Only what could happen here, in this beautiful garden? And look, there is a grill, with a fire! See, the people cannot be far away."

Suddenly, the team heard distant but horrifying voices: yells, evil laughter, and yells again. They came from a little dark wooden windowless shed –which actually reminded more like a cottage, for it was made of logs. 

"Chill! Did you hear that?!" Buzz whispered.

"Of course we did!" XR said, rather sharply. "I told you, these are dangerous grounds."

Mira was terrified: "What if... What if Emperor Zurg and Warp are here... And have taken the poor people as their hostages?"

"You may be right! It must be them! Oh, we are so good trackers!" Booster was excited.

"We have no choice but to attack and free those tortured souls!" Buzz tuned his wrist laser. "But let's not haste; the Emperor and Warp don't know that we are here –at least, I hope so."

"Do you suggest a surprise attack?" Booster inquired.

"That was my plan –unless you guys have some better ones. No? Well, then… Mira, you go with XR. Approach the log cabin silently from the forest side. I and Booster will take the lake side."

Mira and XR began to sneak behind the little building. Soon they had to step out of the garden and into the forest, since half of the shed was built on mossy ground, under three tall spruces. XR had difficulties with moving, because his caterpillars jammed all the time; the ground vegetation was definitely not making his way any easier. Mira, instead, tried to survive silently trough the little bush branches and young trees that scratched her suit. She was successful –until she got a sticky spider web towards her face.

"Eeks! Iiiih! Help, XR!" She flung her arms about the air in panic, and tried to wipe the web off.

"Hush, Mira! Calm down, it is nothing but a harmless web. Hush now, a little more silence, please. Now... I saw the spider fall down already." XR tried to make her silent.

After a minute, Mira calmed down, but still could not help wiping the no-more-existent web from her forehead and eyes every now and then. All in all, she and XR finally could continue their way.

"I hope the Emperor did not hear your screams, Mira!" XR whispered, as they now had got very close to the wooden wall. 

"I hope so, too. Buzz would be very angry if I would get caught!"

"Yes, I would!" a half-whisper came behind their backs, "I came here because I thought something serious had happened to you!"

"Buzz! Oh, I am so sorry! But you know how I hate..."

"Hush, everybody, the noise begins again!" Booster snapped.

Indeed, a long chill went down the backs of the team-members. They heard the horrible laughter again, and then some silent mumbling –perhaps Zurg and Warp were negotiating what evil things to do to their hostages. And what was the worst of all, they soon began to hear voices of slapping. 

"Oh craters, how eerie! Zurg is slogging them! The poor people!" Booster was as pale as a ghost.

"This is like straight from my nightmares!" shuddered Mira.

And even the whipping was not enough, for the next they heard was a man's yell and a silent hiss. Actually three silent hisses in a row. Team Lightyear was silent. They all thought of the same thing: Emperor Zurg was torturing the people by burning marks on their skin, as if they did to the cattle in some parts of the galaxy.

"We must help them immediately!" Mira gathered courage.

The others nodded. They had to put a final end to the Emperor's cruelties.

All the four prepared to attack. They had gathered in front of the little door and tuned up their weapons. The atmosphere was both tensed and horrified. 

"Alright! Close your visors, rangers, this might get very dangerous. When I count to three, we run trough that door and surprise the Emperor. Booster and XR, you concentrate on Warp Darkmatter, if also he is there. Now... One... Two.... Three!"

Team Lightyear crushed trough the door, accompanied by a loud war-shout. But what they faced, was not what they had expected. 

They were standing in the middle of a little, thorough wooden room, which was decorated from two wall-sides with long, three-level, wooden benches. On the highest bench were sitting two red-skinned men, puffing from heat and surprise, and four scared ladies, grabbed on each other's arms. The whole group had their swim-suits on, and they sat on towels. The humidity of the air made the rangers' visors all non-transparent, and soon they could not see anything behind them.

"Mitäs tää nyt on? Eihän nyt oo vappu vai onko? Mitkäs ihmeen avaruuskostyymit teillä on päällä, häh?"

"Ei ne taida ymmärtää sua, Janne. Kato nyt, ne taitaa olla ruottalaisia. Ei kellään muilla olis sinistä naamaa. Ne taitaa olla tulossa jäkismatsista."

"Peijakas, mitäs ne nyt meidän saunaan törmäsi? Kuka ossaa enklantia?"

Buzz, Mira, Booster and XR listened to the odd blabber in wonder. They stood rigid, because of their amazement and insecurity. Buzz was the first one to put his visor down and to look again at their peculiar audience. But when he did this, the true heat of the air struck him and made him cover his face with hands.

"Aargh! Mira and others, do not remove your shields!"

"Buzz, are you alright?" Mira screamed in panic. "Is the air poisoned?"

"Blast, no, but darn hot! At least 140 Celsius degrees!"

The whipping began again. Buzz tried to see between his fingers. The ladies seemed to have recovered from their fright and had now begun to slap their backs with bunches of some branches, probably birch.

"How weird. Mira, those people endure this sufferable heat like it was nothing to them. And they hit themselves with branches. That is something you don't see every day. I wonder if they are perfectly sane?"

Soon, a couple of hisses followed. From a heap of stones, gathered in a metal vat in the corner, rose steam. The other man had just thrown water on them. Under the vat, there was a cracking fire, which obviously kept the stones gleaming hot –so that the water could evaporate from them better.

A man with a beer-can in his hand cleared his throat and spoke with odd accent:

"Have you come to sauna with us? If you are from planet Swe'Den, you should understand by now that it is not polite just to bump in, without any warning. We could have got heart-attacks."

XR had also put his shield down, now, for he was very curious to see what happened. The heat did not strike him at all; once again a good reason to be a robot. He looked at Buzz, but the Captain seemed not yet to be ready to speak –so he took the conversation in his own hands.

"We are not Swe'Densians, we come from Tangea." XR began, and got six pairs of evaluating eyes targeted on him. "And we thought... that you were in trouble. You kept so loud a noise that we assumed that Emperor Zurg was here to torture you." He continued, trying to sound even somewhat correct.

A long horse-laugh filled the room.  

"Emperor Zurg, indeed! No, we were just telling jokes! And Jaakkima here was singing the song 'Mickey Mouse in distress at sea'. He is good in sea monster's role, you see."

"Oh... We were then mistaken, a little, I see..." Buzz ventured to breathe the hot air. He also had begun to endure it. But he was very embarrassed. 

"Team Lightyear, let us go out of here. This is nothing but a sauna-room, and we are disturbing these people's bath."

XR pushed Mira and Booster out; those two still could not see anything behind the steamy visors. Buzz told them to put them down. 

The brown-bearded man, who had just spoken with XR, followed them out. He had caught the subject 'Emperor Zurg' and wanted to know more.

"Wait, rangers. Who are you, for dusty meteoroid's sake? Don't go away just yet! My name is Janne Nurminen, I am the owner of this household." 

"Buzz Lightyear of Star Command." 

Mira eyed Mr. Nurminen from head to toes and saw that he was friendly-looking –and therefore encouraged herself to chat.

"Mr. Nurminen, we are Team Lightyear. We are the ones who conquered Planet Z and put Emperor Zurg and his apprentices behind jail-bars."

He looked at her in wonder and then smiled.

"Aha, so you must be princess Mira Nova? I have read a lot about Team Lightyear's heroic doings from Galaxy Net Magazine."

"Well, we are quite famous…" Mira tittered.

The man grinned and then changed his expression to somewhat more serious. 

"May I ask one thing?"

"Sure… What is it?" Buzz began to dig a pencil out of somewhere. He expected Mr. Nurminen to ask for a signature. But he was wrong:

"You just said that you have imprisoned the Emperor. Now… If he is in prison… why are you here to find him?"

Buzz let the pencil be, again embarrassed, when XR laughed:

"Mira did not tell the whole truth. We actually did imprison Zurg –but he escaped. With Warp Darkmatter."

Mr. Nurminen's face turned into a merry smirk.

"Ah, Warp! Now there is a good fellow!"

"'A good fellow'? What do you mean?" Mira looked at him surprised.

"He is a darn good fisher! Like the other summer, we…"

"So you know him?"

"Yes, to be sure! Like I was saying, it is a real pity he hasn't shown up for a long time. He got a twenty-pound salmon last summer."

"So… You are sure that he has not shown his face on this planet… say, in the last couple of days?"

"Sorry to say, but he seems to have abandoned us. I would be the first one to whom he would call if he was coming here. And I have not heard of him since… last winter."

Team Lightyear was disappointed. But in XR's mind, there was always space for doubt.

"Why would we believe you? If he is your friend, you would probably lie to us about him. How can we trust you? I bet he is hiding right now somewhere in your house."

Janne Nurminen looked at him coldly:

"Even though he is my fishing-friend, I do not accept every thing he does. I am on Galactic Alliance's side."

"Yeah, as if we would believe that!"

"To prove my words true, I tell you I have a sixteen-year-old son who will some day become a ranger like you. He now studies his last year in the Space Ranger Academy. Pate Nurminen is his name."

"Oh yes, I have heard of him." Mira sighed. "He won the jiu-jitsu-master –competition a couple of months ago."

"And if this is not proof enough… " Mr. Nurminen glanced at XR, "…you are by all means free to search. Go on, turn my house upside down. But I fear you will be just losing your time."

"Dang it! This planet was our first and only lead, and it was wrong. Any suggestions where to continue? Blast!" Buzz murmured.

Mira played with her red curls and turned her blue eyes elsewhere. XR whistled and began to wipe some imaginary dust out of his joints. Booster truly tried to come up with some idea but got not a single. However, the suggestion came from Janne Nurminen:

"Listen, fellows… Warp kills me if he finds out that I have been blabbering, but anyway… I will help you out."

"Do you know where he is, then?" Mira asked, disbelief reflecting from her voice.

"Is a small meteoroid-planet Pulu in Kenkäshow System familiar to you?"

"No, but it can soon be. What about it?" Buzz' interest had woken up.

"I and Warp have a hunting-box there, in the valley between two of the highest mountains, the Twin and the Peak. You know, in addition to his fishing-skills, Darkmatter is also good in elk-hunting. Like last autumn, when he got this moose, which…"

"Thank you, Mr. Nurminen." Mira interrupted, for she was not at all interested in hearing about their last-autumn game. "It is very much possible that Warp has led Zurg there. We shall head there next."

Also Buzz thanked Mr. Nurminen. His help had been really valuable in their impasse.

"I appreciate that you put your friendship with Mr. Darkmatter in danger this way. But you can be sure that he will never hear that this lead came from your lips."

"Yes, I would like this little conversation to remain secret, indeed."

Booster yawned long and made XR look at his digital timer. Only then the team-members became aware of that it was already late, almost night. The still-burning sun had distracted them. It namely happened that in the middle of the summer, Saunamakkara did not have a real night at all. The sun was up 24 hours.

"Let's get going, fellows!" Buzz began to lead his friends towards their star-ship. "And thank you again, Mr. Nurminen."

In the final hurry, Mira got some sausage and lemonade from Mr. Nurminen's wife for a light supper with her.  It soon proved itself to a great thought, because all the Team-members found themselves dead hungry as soon as they got back into their starship. 

So did 42 leave Saunamakkara's neighborhood. After the meal, Buzz had put the autopilot on. The whole team had cuddled into blankets in order to get some sleep. 42 was happily on its way to the other edge of the galaxy. 

…to be continued…..


	4. Revelations

Back on Naboor, Warp Darkmatter and Emperor Zurg had changed into a bit more slugger clothes. They both had tank-tops and woolen pullovers on them, black cotton trousers and Scat-Erpillar's strong boots, as well as heavy backpacks, filled with everything useful, like two tents –the bigger one was of course Zurg's. The day had already gone quite long, and the two fellows were walking across the blooming meadow, towards a nice-looking –but distant –hardwood forest in the east. However, their progress was achingly slow because of their little amount of sleep and their heavy burdens.

The country was harsh, though lovely in its way. Great, dancing waves of reddish poppy-like Unikeko-flowers stretched mile after square mile behind their backs. In front of them, five violet snow-peaked mountains tried to dive into the marine of the sky. But the land where the two runaways now walked on, was dry and dusty. The sun burned mercilessly on their necks and made their way a true agony.

"Craters! Where are you taking us, Izzo?" 

Warp could not see any path and wondered if the Emperor had chosen the right direction.

"I know a little woodland pond near those high peaks, in the middle of that distant forest. It takes a few hours to walk there, but it is a great place where to spend the night. Fresh water and shelter from the wind."

"You have been here earlier?"

"Well… I spent some time here when I was a kid."

Warp mused the fact that this evil Emperor had once been a child. What kind of a child had he been? Good-mannered? That was not likely.

"So… Did you come here with your parents?" he ventured to ask.

Zurg did not turn at him but mumbled:

"No… My parents died when I was eleven."

"I'm sorry, Emperor." 

Warp felt that he had chosen the wrong topic. But Zurg only glanced at him coolly: 

"Don't be. I am not."

The conversation died for a long time. Warp did not dare to speak, and Zurg did not want to. They walked and walked, in uncomfortable silence, until after three hours they reached the moor, which surrounded the forest. Their boots had begun to feel heavy and Warp suggested a pause.

"No pauses, Darkmatter. Not before we get to the pond."

"My feet hurt. These boots are at least two numbers too small –owned by somebody whose letters are L. S. !  Why did _you get the bigger pair? You already got the better tent and the bigger water flagon."_

"Don't whine, you are a big man. Cheer yourself up, think about some evil things, for instance. Don't think about the pain."

"Ok… Some evil things… Women! They are always a cheerful topic!"

"Women?"

"Yeah! Whee… you should think about them, too, if you feel dull."

"I don't know any."

"What? But you must! I know at least a hundred! A thousand!"

"The only one I have ever known is dead."

Once again Warp found their conversation in a deadlock. But this time he would not let the Emperor win. He would not let him fall into a silence again, for the rest of the evening. 

Warp decided to find out a little bit more about this evil man's history, for it interested him a great deal. After all, they had been friends for many years, and he thought he should have gained some trust by now. And he really had plenty of questions to which he wanted an answer from Zurg. The first one was the matter concerning Buzz Lightyear. Therefore Warp continued, with an attacking tone:

"Are you ever going to tell me the truth?"

The Emperor only gave a silent snarl and walked on.

"Don't do this, Emperor! Face the situation! You are here, on this little moon, in exile. You have lost your power and empire, all your might, and still you dare to hold some secrets from me! Do you want to lose your only friend, too? For the last time, open up your mind!"

Zurg stopped. He turned slowly around and looked steadily in Warp's eyes.

"You asked me this morning if I ever was married -and why I hate Buzz Lightyear so much." 

He kept a pause. Warp waited. 

"I have thought about these questions during the day –and I think I am ready to give you an answer –the answer which I know you are waiting for."

"You are Buzz' father?"

Zurg smiled melancholically.

"Yes, I am."

For a while, the silent caraway of a distant fall was the only voice to be heard. Warp had difficulties to believe what he had just heard, although he had thought of the matter quite often since their depart from the meadow. He now wondered what to ask next, and took a long, golden hey between his teeth. Scratching his bluish black hair he then spoke again: 

"Then… If he is your son… Why do you want to kill him?"

"I do not."

"But… your fights… You have shot at him! With real weapons! I don't understand you."

"Listen… If I truly would have liked to end his days, he would be dead already. Do you honestly think that I have lost every battle only because the Team Lightyear was so powerful? I tell you, it has all been illusion. I lost them in purpose. For sunburst's sake, Buzz Lightyear is still my flesh and blood!"

The hey broke from the middle and began to nod. Warp spitted it out. More and more questions popped into his mind, and he was not sure which ones to ask first.

"So... Buzz doesn't know who you are. I mean... he doesn't have a slightest clue... that his father is... Evil Emperor Zurg?"

"No. And he needs not to know, either. He was taken away from me when he was only a baby."

"Are you afraid that he would hate you for what you are? You want him to think that his father is dead rather than an outlaw?"

"You said it. Only that I am worse than an outlaw. I want him to have a good memory of his father –like he has now. He thinks I died fighting for good things."

"Don't do that to yourself -or to Buzz! He told me so many times how much he wished that his father was alive!"

A threatening darkness reflected from the Emperor's appearance. His sharp eyes expressed anger and annoyance, which could have belonged to the devil himself.

"My son will never find out the truth about me! Not even from your lips!"

Warp did not venture to say a thing further and only looked down. It was clear that Emperor Zurg was not happy with his situation. He obviously still loved his son, no matter what. And he probably would have liked to get to know him. There were, however, so many secrets in the whole case still, that Warp could not yet make any sensible conclusion of the true happenings of the Emperor's past. The journey continued in the same silence than what it had been before. 

After some hours, the day began to turn into a night. The fat, red sun in the horizon was finally losing her burning touch, and the wind silently gathered power. Emperor Zurg and Warp Darkmatter were an odd group in the middle of the wilderness with their huge loads; their walking reminded more like dragging, and the only things they said to each other were some tired curses. But the first day's journey at Naboor was already close to its end; the pond could at last be seen in the distance.

A fresh, green forest twined the two runaways into her hems just when the darkness descended. It was now impossible to see far ahead without a proper flash- or laser-light, and the Emperor finally decided to put his backpack down.

"I knew we could make it, Darkmatter. Now you can have your pause."

"About the time! But I still cannot see why we couldn't rest earlier."

"Because we can't be sure if we are followed. If we would have stayed at the moor, somebody might have seen us already from the air. Now the trackers have to wonder which direction we took from the M. Falcon."

"You are as clever as always, your evilness…"

"Stop calling me that, Darkmatter… I have got bored with it. We should try to come up with some new delightful title for me. Mwa ha ha!"

They pitched their tents right under a thick-leafed Syöveripoolo-tree that hung its branches far over the pond surface. However, they had no mattresses or relevant on which to sleep, so they built their beds of fallen leaves. Zurg began to gather some dry brushwood to make a fire and Warp filled their flagons with fresh pond water. They both were dead tired already and yawned continuously. Despite Warp was a keen hunter, he had been on this kind of a wild, exhausting and long trip last when he had been a ten-year-old brat and a member of the Galactic Wolf-Cub league.

While gathering the twigs from the sands, Emperor Zurg walked at the water and tried to see his reflection. It was quite dark and unclear, but he could still recognize his majestic looks: strong jaws and rather sharp lines, straight nose with full nostrils, large brown eyes under the blackest and thickest eyebrows of the galaxy, the expressive mouth and robber-like beard that framed his features. 

"_You are not so much different…", he whispered to himself, "You just have your mother's blue eyes."_

The Emperor was kneeled on the sand and sat there at least twenty minutes, silently thinking his own things. Warp could not help paying attention to this odd behavior, but would not go to interrupt. Maybe it was not his business to know every thing. 

An hour later, the campfire was flickering on white sand washed with moonlight. Warp threw the too-small boots away from his feet and massaged his toes. Zurg had come to sit vis-à-vis to him, and had brought a selection of canned goods along.

"What's for supper, Mighty Gordon?"

"What? Mighty Gordon?! Rolling moonstones, Darkmatter! That was the most horrible title I ever heard!"

"I thought you would like it!" Warp laughed, "You just admired your reflection for half an hour, didn't ya?"

"For your information, I had some way more serious thoughts in my mind, jester."

"Like what?"

"Like… " The Emperor was close to say something very interesting, but then drew back, "Like what we should eat now!"

Warp guessed that he was hiding some extremely grave things in his heart and therefore looked at him compassionately. However, he did not push Zurg to talk. 

"So, what cans have you brought there, then? Perhaps boiled katkarapu-kaalilaatikko or fried jauhemaksapirtelö?"

Zurg took the little tin in his hand and tried to read what it contained. He kept it remarkably far away from his face and screwed up his eyes.

"I think… it says… 'oolated squiggs' here."

"Izzard, what is it? Cannot you see close?" Warp was hilarious. He had never been aware of this little secret.

"It must be the age." Zurg was a little embarrassed and very much annoyed. He grated his teeth and threw the tin away. Warp understood that Zurg would get furious if somebody dared to make fun of the matter. But he could not resist himself, and went to fetch the can from under the nearby bush. 

"It says 'boiled eggs' here. Yuck! Boiled eggs in a preserve tin! I would much rather have eaten those 'mole-eaten squirrels' –or what ever they were!"

To his amazement, Zurg did not rage. If his temper was sizzling, it was well kept inside. 

"Well, do you want to open it?" he just smiled.

"No! I don't!" Warp threw the can back into the bushes, "Who can ever eat that kind of stuff? Besides, I saw the date –it was the 4th Leppäallergia-month –year 1977!"

"Uh, we were lucky to throw it away. It is as old as the 4th episode of the War Stars! Here, take another one. What does this one contain?"

"Hmm… 'swashed bananas'. Sounds OK to me."

"And this one?" Zurg gave him a relatively big can.

"This is… 'roasted boot'.

"What? Darkmatter, you cannot be serious, that is no food!"

"Darn this label, it is so unclear… wait a second… could this be 'toasted root'."

"Sounds much reasonable… let's open it. And guess what –I have a bottle of Caco Laco here!"

"Whee! Let's eat!"

The air began to turn chilly, although the forest protected the two from the hardest wind, which stormed at the meadow. The campfire soon became their best friend, and they went to sit as close to it as they dared. Warp burned a hey after another in the flames, and Zurg threw little stones into the lake. Sometimes he succeeded to make them jump thrice from the surface before sinking. 

"Darkmatter… Would you like to hear a story?"

Zurg's low voice broke the night. For a moment, Warp didn't say anything, just looked at the Emperor's pale face. Then he took a better position and asked:

"What kind of a story?"

Zurg got again that melancholy smile on his face.

"Just a little tale… about a young boy… who gets into wrong kind of circles after the death of his family… but survives out of them… and builds a market-empire with his own wit in the age of fifteen… and falls in love… gets a son… and finally, because of some extremely dreary coincidences, loses it all and becomes the most horrible monster of the galaxy."

"Yea… I would like to hear that."

And so Zurg began to tell his history, for the first time ever to anybody. At first, it seemed to be difficult, but he was determined. And therefore Warp finally got to know why he became what he now was –evil emperor Zurg.

"It was the mid-winter of 2581 in planet Bespin, Dolan's System. My home, the City of the Clouds, was bathing in the most beautiful cumulus, and the land beneath us could not be seen. I still remember how the sun sparkled its rays on my face whenever a hole appeared to the white veil. I was eleven years old then."

Zurg had a short pause.

"I was playing with my sister, Zoreann, on our balcony when my mother ran to us. I saw from her eyes that something was seriously wrong. But I could not ask about it –something just held me back. She lifted my little sister– only three years old –in her arms and told me to follow. And I did. We ran trough tens of aisles, and I saw panic everywhere. My sister cried… I can still hear her ripping cry and the scared expression on her little face."

Warp saw that it was really painful for the Emperor to call back these memories. But he still went on:

"My mother pushed us into a little room, close to the flight decks, and locked the door. She covered my sister in a blanket, wiped off her tears and set her on a sofa. Then she went to a window, obviously to look at the incoming starships. She had an energy saber bound onto her hips, and she walked about the room very nervously. Then I asked her where papa was." Zurg sighed. "She just laid her hand on my shoulder and smiled. When I asked again the same question… she said… that he was with the stars. Of course I thought that he had gone for a flight. But it didn't take me long to realize the truth."

"Then we heard that somebody was coming trough the door by force. Mama gave me the saber and asked me to take care of Zoreann. 'Try to hide into some starship and get away from here, Zored.', she said. 'The devil himself has come to take us. Don't let him get you, my child. Now… take your sister and go."  And I understood everything. It was the Empire. The evil emperor of the time, Dark Fader, had come to get my family for a reason I learned many years later –my father had betrayed him, by not agreeing to serve him."

"Then mama showed a hatch in a corner. The enemies had already got the door half broken, and I went in hurry to get my sister. But the shot was quicker than me; it had come trough the hole in the door and pierced my sister's heart. Only one shot… and it had to be her. I cannot understand. Why she? Oh… I embraced her sweet, little, lifeless body and cried. She had her beautiful brown eyes still open… I called for my mother for I didn't know what to do –but she never came."

  
Warp had begun to feel very bad. He had never known how terrible a childhood this emperor had had. 

  
"I was full of anger and agony. For the first time in my life, I felt that I wanted to kill somebody. It was a terrible feeling –but it gave me energy and strength. I had just learned to know what it felt to want a revenge. But it was not the time, then. I fled from the hatch and stole a starship –I never before knew I could fly with such a thing. But I really could, and I got far away –and the end of my journey was planet Morph."

"That is Buzz' home planet", Warp recalled.

"Yes… that is his home."

"Then what happened?"

"The first year I was living in the wilderness, begging my food and sleeping under the trees. I was on my own for the first time –I did not know what I should have done. My days went on by practicing the usage of the energy saber. I was preparing for the day when I would get my revenge. And if I may say so myself – I indeed became a good fighter."

"At the summer of 2582, I got a friend. He called himself a 'jedi-master'. I never found out his real name. He had seen my skills and wanted to train me further, or that is what he told me. I was suspicious from the beginning, for he was green and sly-looking –but I stayed with him, because I had no better things to do, either."

"He was a good trainer although he always told me some blabber about the dark side of the force and so on, which I never believed. But he truly made me think clearly and control my anger. He took me into the city with him –he introduced me to some of his friends as his apprentice Zora. I found it funny, for I didn't even know what 'an apprentice' meant, in the age of twelve. But as I grew elder and became more powerful, I got to know his true means. He wanted me to lead his smuggling business after his retirement."

"I was young, just turned fourteen, when he announced that I was to become the leader. He said he would supervise me and give me 30% of the money he earned. And I was fool enough to accept –I had never had any money of my own, and I felt it intriguing. So I began my career –with a totally wrong foot."

"It didn't take me but three of four smuggling trips when I realized that I had been stupid. Only 30% of the profits, although I did the whole job and took the risk. For my luck, I had learnt to be as warp as my 'friend'; I did not go and ask for a bigger part –I did my own arrangements behind his back. One by one, I turned my master's friends against him with most disgusting lies. At the same time, with the money I earned, I was building an own enterprise –a consulting firm for new entrepreneurs. I was taking care of the smuggling trips still –but it often happened that the price was not the one we had had in mind –that is, I stole from him, so that my true share went up to even sixty percent. I was just horrible. Even today I wonder that I never got caught."

"My trainer died the same day I turned fifteen. I was finally set free from my bandages to him, by a natural way. I cannot say that I would have cried after him –no, as terrible as it sounds, I was happier than ever. I had a house, a growing firm, and money –the only thing I lacked was proper education. Do not understand me wrong –I had been at school in my youth in the City of the Clouds –and I had read a lot by myself during my training period. I was not an air-brain. But I needed something real, an examination."

"I went to the Academy of Tangea. It was far away from Morph, but I chose it in purpose: I wanted to know other places than my new home planet, too. Well… I started from the bottom, of course. The first class, where my colleagues were thirteen year old. They could not keep me there long, for despite I had had no real education since I was eleven, I was too clever to be there –so they put me into the class where the other fifteen-year-olds were. But even that did not fit for me –I felt stupid only because I was too smart to be among the others. So I left the Academy and switched to the University of Tangea. And there, I first got to know King Nova."

Warp was extremely surprised.  
"Were you in the same school with the king?"

"I knew you would not believe it. But I was. And the next I'm going to tell you, you will believe no better."

"Were you his best friend? Let me laugh!"

"No, definitely not! Let's not go to the impossibilities, Darkmatter!" Zurg grinned.

"Then what?"

"Be patient. I cannot jump too much. You must hear every particular."

"Go on."

"So, as I already told you, I was in the same class with King Nova –at the time, prince Nova. He was rather clever and therefore a little distant, and I think he found a real competitor of me. He had used to be the best in his class, but the times were to change. Soon, we were both competing of the best degrees. But there where I thought it was fun, he was losing his mind with me. He could not endure me –he hated me, he was afraid of me –he wanted get rid of me."

"Doesn't sound like King Nova", Warp put in the middle.

"No, it does not. But I swear I am not telling you lies. He really hated me."

"Ok, what did he do, then?"

"Then? Nothing. But afterwards… Oh, how I was so blind. You see… After the school, I went back to Morph, to expand my enterprise. I also put up several other little businesses, all over the planet. I was eighteen when I reached my hands on other planets, too, and build my market-empire galaxy-wide. Have you not ever heard of such enterprises like 'Zora's Pizza-Planet' or "Zokia?"

"Now that you mention the names… I have heard of them. Actually my mother was working at Zokia's Xatagah-bureau."

"Yes… I ruled the markets in every parts of this galaxy."

"But those enterprises don't longer exist."

"No, they do not. For, you see, nothing can last forever. Least of all good things."

"What happened?"  
"I fell in love."

"But… that is not so bad. I have fallen in love hundreds of times, and am still well-off."

"You know nothing about real love, Darkmatter."

"Wanna tell me, then?"

Zurg set himself to lie on the grass. He threw a couple of dry branches into the fire and began to look at the sky.

"I was eighteen when I met the woman of my life. Her name was Zeleica… She was Morphean, very beautiful… She actually reminded me of my mother, somehow, for she was relatively tall in height and had a thick, shining, black hair –I bet it reached her knees. Oh, how she was sweet! Nothing before her nor after had made my heart bounce at such rate. She just walked into my office one day –just like that, no agreed encountering –and told me how much she admired me. She was twenty-one years old, that is three years elder than I. But that did not scare us –actually, our life was as perfect as it can be only in fairy-tales. And a fairy-tale it was."

"We got married in five months. She was a determined and strong woman, and bad whispers told me that she was only after my fortune. But I ignored them –for how could she have been? With such a happy and caring nature, such devoting manners –how could I not have trusted her? She gave me a son after a year and eight months of our marriage… Buzz Lightyear. And I was so proud… so proud…"

For a moment, Zurg did not say a thing. Warp thought he saw a tear in his eye-corner, but was not sure.

"As I said, nothing lasts forever. After five months of my son's birth, everything was to change. I was on a business trip, checking out some of my Habogad enterprises, when she left me. I did not know it until I came back –after weeks of her departure. She had taken Buzz with her… She had left me a short note: 'Do not try to search for us. I do not love you'."

"I was devastated. Crushed. Torn in thousands of pieces. I was even near to end my life. Quasars… I kept asking myself why. Why? WHY? What had I done to deserve this? Why had she done this to me? But of course I tried to search them –I loved my wife, still. And if not for her, I loved my son. I wanted them both back. I wanted to know what had taken them away. I should never have done that search."

"It took me over two years to find even a little clue of them. They had just disappeared in the air –nobody had seen them, nobody had heard of them. I gathered a small searching troop –but they were more like bounty-hunters, for I promised a huge prize to the one who could find my family. Finally, one dark night, when I was sitting on my balcony, watching the lights of the city, one of my hunters called on me –Greedo. And he had some news. Of course I was keen to know what he had to say –oh, how I wished he had found them! But a few minutes later, I wished I would never have heard the name Zeleica again."

"She was on Tangea. In King Nova's palace. A traitor she was –she had done this all to me only because of the mission she had gotten from King Nova. I learned from Greedo that she had never been serious with me –that she had tricked me into our marriage only because King Nova wanted to destroy my market empire. Oh, how I woke up from my beautiful dreams into the real world! I saw it all clearly now: the prince Nova had never forgotten me, had grown even more jealous of me because my success in the markets –and finally, when getting the throne and becoming the King, he had decided to do something to me."

"The whole idea had been to crush me sentimentally. To make my life so miserable I could not lead my businesses any longer. And I admit he succeeded. From the day I concentrated on searching my Zeleica and Buzz, I let all my enterprises fall into destruction. I was not poor, however, far from it. I had gathered a great fortune already –a fortune beyond belief. But nobody knew it. At every business trip I had made, I had hidden an amount of uni-bucks in safe places. Even this moment I cannot recall how big my true fortune actually is… But I promise you, it is big."

"Aw, how angry I felt myself! How angry! I was about to leave towards Tangea immediately. But Greedo stopped me with only one sentence: 'your son was not with her anymore'. Of course I asked where she had left him –but that was a secret still unrevealed, even for Greedo."

Warp was so much in the story that he did not even notice that Zurg had risen up, not before the Emperor asked him if he was tired to hear more. 

"No, actually I have never before heard anything as much interesting… Craters… And this is a true story…" Warp's eyes were everything but sleepy. In his mind rolled so many questions, to which he knew he would soon get an answer. He asked Zurg to finish his story.

"Well, I did not go to her. Not then. I was too much concerned of my son to do anything else but to try to find him. But I was not successful –not until he joined the Star Command and began to fight against me. But then I was already an emperor –and he was a grown-up young man."

"You do not know how I got into that high position. I will tell you; the darkest period of my history, this far, begins –it begins with a murder. You see, after ten years of hopeless and fatiguing searching, there was space only to angry thoughts in my mind –terrifying thoughts they were. I was left all alone; all my friends and even the bounty hunters abandoned me. I created myself a new identity, little by little. A new, revengeful, horrible identity. All the new and the old setbacks intruded in my mind so powerfully I could no longer held back my self."

"One night I left my home. I headed straight towards a planet called Zith; nowadays known only as Z. There were the head-quarters of the Dark Lord Fader –you remember, the man who devastated my family. I did not actually know what I was doing –I was just thinking of one thing: I wanted to kill him."

"I do nott remember how I succeeded; I namely did it all like in a foggy dream. But as the next day laid its golden luster on Zith's buildings, I was the new Emperor; a self-made Emperor. I remember how nobody dared to resist me –after all, I had just murdered the most powerful Dark Jedi of the galaxy. I was respected. And so it began. I changed my name –I became 'evil Emperor Zurg'."

"I hid myself under the mask, which is so familiar to you. I did not want anybody to know who I was. And as the days went on, I felt more and more powerful and satisfied. I had got my revenge of the Fader –and that encouraged me to pay back another issue; I wanted to make Zeleica suffer."

"But as I got interested in her again, I still found myself immensely fond of her, which was the reason I sometimes hated myself. I followed her every movement, like a greedy tiger lurking a delicious booty. At the same time, I increased my new Imperial Army into its most brilliant glory. Oh, how I suffered again! I wanted to make her life miserable –and still I wanted her back."

"It was a blistering cold afternoon, 57th Siitepöly-month year 2600, when I sent my troops towards the Capital Planet –that was namely Zeleica's new home. I sent them to kidnap her; I had some real evil plans made ready for her; I wanted her alive into my hands. But everything did not go as I had planned. The Galactic Alliance thought that I was attacking the whole city, and therefore sent its own troops to fight against mine. I had not prepared to that, and therefore they shot my cruisers down. It would have meant nothing but a little loss –had it not been the dreary fact, that one of the falling cruisers hit Zeleica's house –and killed her."

"I felt sad. I truly had my revenge of her, but I was sad. I never wanted her to be dead… At least, not in my heart. But I never showed my sorrow to anyone. I was a new Emperor now –I could not have feelings. Not tender ones, that is. And, as in order to replace my good feelings with bad ones, I created this enormous hate towards the whole Galactic Alliance and King Nova. And here I am now…"

  
Zurg walked to the fire and kicked it, until it was quenched. 

"No more bedtime stories for today, Darkmatter. Go into your tent."

Warp did not resist.

After fifteen minutes, both Warp and Zurg were in the land of dreams. Heavy clouds began to bustle silently over the horizon after the midnight. The patter of rain on the tent canvas would have been too heavy for to be able to sleep in normal circumstances –but the two vagabonds were so exhausted that they slept like little babies despite the little storm outside.

…to be continued….


	5. Dangerous journey

Before the sunrise –gray silk sky, all the Angelica's moons aloft - Zurg and Warp had a freezing early-morning bath. They both washed their faces and armpits with the cold pond-water and shivered. Warp did not understand why they had to wake up so early. But it was Zurg's custom, and who was he to disobey his master the Emperor? He eyed the nature around him; every leaf and flower were covered with crystal-clear dewdrops and the ground felt swampy. Zurg ordered him to gather his stuff, put his tent away and dress warmly. Their journey continued, both of the men shuttering with cold. 

Zurg led their way steadily towards the mountains in the east. The land began to rise slowly, and a grassy patch shone in the distance. It was the route over the mountains; an old one, unused for many years, and therefore covered with thick hummock. 

"Do you really know where you are taking us, Emperor?"

"Indeed. There is a lush valley behind these mountains. It is partly populated, and we can try to benefit from the aborigine's help somehow."

"How do you know this all. You said you were here last when you were a child."

"Yes, I consider I was a child in the age of fourteen." 

Zurg turned his eyes towards the high peaks. 

"My smuggling trips led me here every now and then. The energy sabers I was transporting were made here, in a little village near the coastline."

"I see. And this village is now our destination?"

"Well, no."

Warp was not following Emperor's thoughts at all. Zurg saw this and gave an explanation.

"I don't want anybody to see my face. Some of these people might remember me, the old ones, at least. I have not changed so much from my youngster years. Of course my age shows from my face –but the main features are the same."

"How big are the odds that we will encounter some of your old pals? Many of them must be dead by now!"

"There is another danger, too. You –or me –might accidentally slip my true name to somebody –and after that, we shall be dead. In addition to the universal interest to kill me, these people have a personal reason."

"And what's that?"

"I have been doing my own businesses here after I quitted the smuggling, as myself, Emperor Zurg. My troops have visited the valley every now and then. Robbing food that is; quite an amount of the yearly harvest. Not all of my naughty friends are androids, you see! Mwa ha haaah ha haa!"

"Whea, you are so evil!"

The sun had finally begun to rise. The red sky of dawn promised a new storm for the day. The runaways had now climbed rather high up the mountainside, and were having a short pause. Far beneath their feet, partly covered with trees, laid the little pond; its surface scattered golden jangles of the sunlight in a million direction, and for the first time in many years, Zurg experienced the enthusing effect of a rare beauty. His opening up last night was still tendering his feelings a bit, but Warp saw he was a good way back to normal, murky self again. 

After a five-hours walk, they reached the spot where the land began to lower again. Far away, the sapphire blue ocean embraced the silver-sanded shore. From three other sides, the mountains surrounded the valley like gigantic teeth. Trees of majestic height waved their leaves in the wind below; it was a jungle of green glory. Warp had never seen anything like it. He gasped air and let his backpack fall to his feet. Zurg, however, didn't see the view like his friend; he only calculated how long it would take to get to the ocean –and how a profitable investment it would be to build a tourism attract of this place –'an oasis for evil apprentices', it would be called. Once a businessman –always a business man. If he was ever to get his planet Z back, he would make his servants to design the place –with a special beach villa for himself, not forgetting the horns at the roof and a big flag with golden letter Z.

"Our journey has gone quite well so far" Warp pointed out. "I wonder we haven't bumped into any kind of dangers!"

"Of course we have not, because you have been wandering with me! I am the biggest danger around, remember. Ruhaah mwa ha haa!"

They both laughed. Somehow the thin air at such a height had made them hilarious without any reasonable reason. They began to descend into the valley. Their steps were now lighter and the cheery atmosphere remained between them. 

Warp thought of the people in the valley; he desperately needed some comforts and luxury, instead of the dirty camping. Maybe the first village, where he could buy a bottle of hair gel, would be located right behind a distant, grassy hill beneath his feet. He began to hum a melody in order to kill time; a favorite of his and Zurg's: Imperial March. The Emperor joined him, and soon the whole mountain was echoing from their harsh voices.

Without knowing it, the two merry vagabonds were keeping such a noise, that they irritated a certain beast: Needa. It was a huge, fat snake, twenty-two feet long, living in the caves of the mountain. It was different from its relatives because it had some special skills: it could turn to invisible, and it preferred to eat metal to flesh. And now it had woken up, due to the loud voices outside. 

Zurg was conversing with Warp about their following night's camping place. They would not go in the jungle, yet. At the same time, Needa was carefully keeping its one, big yellow eye on Zurg's pack. It approached silently, descending along the mountainside from behind a group of rocks, and began to turn invisible. Neither of the two scalawags were expecting any kind of danger, and so it was an easy job for the snake to get right behind their backs. 

Although Needa didn't eat people, it was still deadly. Especially in cases when its lunch was tied to someone's back. It was rather simple but strong, and a powerful choker. For Warp's luck, his load was now lying on the ground, and therefore was not Needa's first interest; he could come to it later. But as to Zurg's load: it was just deliciously right before his eyes, waiting for an assault.

Zurg had just turned his eyes back to the valley again when Needa attacked. It turned from invisible to visible again, back to its beautiful fire-lilac color, and embraced Zurg tightly between the long, slimy body (it was slimy, although snakes usually are not). The Emperor was totally taken by surprise, and he therefore was somewhat in a rigid panic. He could not speak –least of all yell –and he felt how the snake began to crush his body with its tight, four-round hold. Warp was also at a loss what to do for a while –he just looked at the creature and was ready to run away. Zurg gasped and began to turn red. The snake was interested in his backpack and dove its head far in it. When it came back to sight, it had a certain, evil-looking mask between its jaws. Warp looked at the scene and recognized the mask as Zurg's helmet. (What was the emperor still carrying it for?) Needa ate it with pleasure.

Zurg was afraid that his bones would begin to crash –so badly the creature was holding him. Warp looked keenly around, trying to find something useful. He dared not to shoot at Needa with his right-arm laser or blaster –the snake was namely moving its head so fast that there was a danger to shoot the emperor, too. Zurg tried to speak to him, but his voice was extinguishing; "..tt ts mtl.." was the only mumble that came out of his mouth. Warp began to hit the beast with a dry branch but it went broken almost immediately. He saw how the snake swallowed the last piece of Zurg's helmet and dove again into the backpack. "..tt ets metl.." Zurg tried again. Then Warp began to understand. It ate metal. 

Warp's first reaction was to hide his right arm behind his back; but as he looked at the emperor's lilac-turning face, he encouraged himself in action. He used his scythes, pressed them far into the snake's middle-body flesh. Needa's head came out of the backpack in such a hurry that Zurg's Z-lettered front-decoration badge was still between it's teeth. Warp twisted the scythes and made the beast roar from pain. It began to lose its grip of the emperor. 

Zurg fell down onto his knees and tried to get a breath. The snake was after Warp now –it had seen his right arm and was continuously trying to get a bite of it. Warp dodged its attacks quite well, at the same time trying to come up with an idea how to get rid of it. Zurg dropped his backpack down and turned to look at the monster.

"Alright, it is time for you to go back into your closet, Randall-imitator", Zurg wheezed. 

He rose up, grimacing from pain in his lungs, and began to drag both of the backpacks towards the edge of a little projection. "Now… follow me, you slimy beast!" 

Warp understood Zurg's idea and went to help him. Needa followed, for it was not anyhow a clever snake, and rapidly slide its ugly body towards the two men. 

"Are you ready to push it down, Darkmatter?" Zurg asked, some weakness in his voice still.

"Aye, Emperor."

"Let's wait until it concentrates on the backpacks again… Then, attack!"

The snake had put its head into a pack again –this time Warp's. At this opportunity, the men grabbed its body, lifted the creature in the air and threw it down from the edge. It roared from fright as it's long body began to slide down. But for misfortune, its tail took also Emperor Zurg along to the fall. 

Warp looked horrified after them: the snake and the Emperor rolled down the steep mountainside, wrapped to each other, obviously both trying to find cover from each other's body. After a minutes dusty rolling, Needa and Zurg bumped onto a little mountain birch. They stayed immovable. Warp began to descend after them so fast that he forgot the backpacks behind. 

"Emperor! Emperor Zurg! Izzo? Are you.. um… alive? Show me a sign!" 

The Emperor was still not moving. As Warp got right next to the two, he saw that both Needa and Zurg had lost their conscious. Warp pushed Needa's body aside and lifted the Emperor in a sitting position. Slapping his cheeks he tried to get a word out of him.

"Zurg! Your evilness! Did you hurt yourself badly? Speak to me. Come on, wake up!"

Despite the fact that a couple of blood strains came down the Emperor's forehead, he opened his eyes slowly. Taking a deep breath, he then tried to smile at his friend. 

"I'm OK, Darkmatter… I'm OK."

"Yeah, right! Just look at yourself. Wait a minute, where is my pocket mirror… Oh, no! Darn, Needa must have snapped and eaten it!"

"Where is that snake?"

"Behind you. Although it's starting to become invisible again. It is unconscious still. We better get moving before it wakes up. That is, if you can get up."

"Don't be silly, of course I can. I just got a couple of bruises, nothing worse. But I am truly sorry for your pocket mirror… Do you want to dig it out from Needa's belly?" Zurg grinned.

The journey continued, now lighter because they had nothing to carry, and for Zurg still quite heavy, for his every muscle was hurting because of the fall. The air had turned really muggy again, and Zurg predicted that it would soon rain again –perhaps thunder. Before that, they should find a shelter. And the only place where they could find it, was the jungle below. 

While getting into the bottom of the valley, Zurg and Warp truly found themselves in a wild, super-green forest. Thousands of parrots and other birds were flying above their heads, singing beautifully. The vegetation was thick beyond belief; it was really hard to get trough it. The trees reached their branches in a magnificent height, and their roots were crossing the ground like thousands of Needa's offspring. The time was something between five and six in the afternoon, Angelica time, and Warp pointed out that he was both hungry and bored with the situation. He wanted to find a nice cottage, with a table loaded with food. 

After rambling and stumbling four miles across a thicket of spiky bushes, giant-spider's webs, fallen tree-trunks and sharp branches, mud, dust and the most oddest plants, the both men were extremely exhausted. Now they finally slowed down and took a breath. 

"Craters!", Warp puffed, "I didn't know that the air is this humid here!"

"And I didn't remember that either... it is a long time since I last was here. Boy am I tired!"

They walked lazily towards a little waterfall which sprang down a rocky hill and made a cute pond in the middle of a group of smaller rocks. Suddenly they felt the ground disappear under their feet. They fell into a deep hole, actually in a trap, which was obviously made for some big beasts.

Zurg fell straight onto a sharp lance-like stitch which went trough his shoulder. He lost his conscious the second time that day, and again his blood began to flood –this time from his mouth and fresh, dirty wound. Warp didn't hurt himself badly, except that his leg strained and he hit his head to a hard root. To his luck, his metal arm prevented him sharing the same accident than the Emperor.

"Uhh… Izzard? What happened? Where are we?" Warp massaged his occiput.

Zurg was lying his face against the wall, which was oozing mud from between the roots which kept the hole in its shape. Under the Emperor's motionless body, there was a pile of bones and a skull of some animal. As Warp began to crawl towards him, he noticed the three, sharp-ended lances that were standing menacingly before him. And one of them had gone trough his boss Zurg.

"Izzo? Zeta?" Warp carefully turned the Emperor's face away from the wall. The eyes were closed, but this time he seemed to have no power to open them –no matter what Warp would say to him. Warp was confused and shocked. He had not a single idea what to do in this situation. He just shook Zurg's head in panic and yelled at him to open his eyes. No reaction. The fresh, warm blood had colored Zurg's black t-shirt darker, and Warp tried to stop it from coming out so fast. The Emperor would soon be gone if the flooding would not stop. 

Warp stood up, cursing from the pain in his foot, and lifted his face towards the sun, which flickered above, from behind the leaves of a palm-tree. The muddy walls were so high and slippery that he couldn't climb them up -even though he was a tall guy. Also the roots were too weak to support his heavy body.

"Help! Help!" He shouted. "Help! Does anyone hear me?"

Of course, nobody answered. Warp had the energy to holler for half an hour, but then he collapsed to sit down. 

They were in the middle of the deepest jungle of the Angelica system. The land was owned by snakes, tigers, poisonous plants, insects and other disgusting weird creatures. Somewhere far away, two lions were quarreling with each other. One moment, a little monkey came at the edge of the trap-hole to look down at the victims, with a piece of some drawing in its hand. However, it was soon gone. Warp was falling into a depression. He would have been glad to see even Buzz Lightyear or that irritating princess Mira now.

The night descended. Moonlight was weak. In the trap, it was dark like in a tomb. Zurg breathed still, though rather difficulty, and sometimes trembled dangerously. Warp had cut the lance some time ago with his scythes and taken Zurg farther from the wet walls. He talked to the Emperor all the time, in a hope that he would not give up if he knew he wasn't alone. But it all seemed to be pointless.


	6. Drawbacks

Team Lightyear woke up when XR's firm voice announced that 42 was approaching Planet Pulu's atmosphere. It was only thirty minutes before the landing, and therefore the team members had to start preparing themselves. Mira yawned and stretched her arms; she had slept with the space-uniform on and felt a little uncomfortable –after all, the suit was not her usual one, but a spare-suit for Buzz. The captain rose up, too, and tried to open his sleepy eyes. He went to the mirror and his stale reflection shocked him.

"Oh… I look just horrible… My skin is dry; do you have moisturizer, Mira? Blast, I forgot the shower last night… I must stink!"

"Don't worry, Captain, the last time I was in shower, was three weeks ago", Booster snorted from his bed.

"Yuh, you guys can be so disgusting sometimes!" Mira grinned. "Let's go to the flight deck, XR is probably waiting for us already."

"Uh… you can go, Mira. It takes me a couple of minutes still… not to mention Booster…"

Mira entered the deck and sat on her seat. She began to braid her hair and asked XR if he had already located the hunting-box. He had not. 

"Our radar shows what it likes, I see… as if there would be population all over this planet, and at least I don't see any kind of settlement here." Mira wondered, as the starship dived near the wood-top level, 120 feet from the ground.

"And the grounds are all covered with that thick forest, here. We have no place to land."

"Can you locate the Twin and the Peak, then?"

XR showed two spots on the radar screen, which were surrounded both with dozens of circles.

"Their height must be at least twenty miles!"

"No, not even near. Twin is eighteen and Peak is seventeen and a half."

"Anyway, you laser-brain… But how come we don't see them? They should be at least rising from the horizon!"

"See, that is the problem here. They are covered with thick veil of clouds. And I'm not talking about any kind of clouds, but poisoned ones. You can look there at the left –see that odd haze? It covers the mountains from us."

"Are they far away?"  
"About three hundred miles."

Buzz and Booster entered the flight deck, still in somewhat sleepy condition. They wondered what Mira and XR were so keenly staring at. Buzz went to sit on his comfortable seat and turned his eyes towards the hazy view. 

"Seems that we are at our destination."

Mira looked at him in amazement:

"Do you know this place? I never knew you have been here!"

"I haven't. I just guessed –you and XR seemed to be so excited." Buzz laughed.

Buzz switched the manual control on and changed their route towards the mist. He slowed down just before the poisonous clouds got too near, and ordered everybody to look at a proper landing area. Mira pointed out a rather large open place in the middle of the woods, and Buzz led 42 down. 

"According to the radar and the map, we are now two miles far from the place where the mountains meet each other." XR told. "What did Mr. Nurminen say about the accurate location of the hunting-box?"

"Two hundred meters south from the spot where two rivers form a waterfall, quite in between the mountains. It is surrounded by a bush area." Mira remembered.

"We have to walk these two miles, then. There's no other place to land on." Buzz said and began to search for something from under his seat.

"But where do you need that… that scythe?" Booster scratched his head and eyed the sharp weapon in wonder.

"Have you not looked outside?" Buzz grinned. 

Mira was trying to make her suit more fitting, and without succeeding in it, sighed,

"Yes, Buzz, I have observed our surroundings… How tall are those club-rushes? Ten feet?"

42 was like a little beetle in the cover of the bulrushes. When the door was opened, nothing could be seen but green vegetation.

"Alright, rangers! Let's move on!" Buzz said, swinging the scythe menacingly in front of the others.

"Why won't we just use our jetpacks?" Booster wondered.

"Because we must spare our crystals. And avoid any kind of attention. Mr Nurminen told me, that this planet is inhabited by various birds, and we must avoid disturbing them. Emperor Zurg and Darkmatter may get a hint of our approach, only by observing the animals' behavior."

"Besides, I don't have the jetpack. I have this Buzz' old suit, which doesn't have any reasonable equipment." Mira grinned, although she was truly annoyed of that fact.

"Hey, don't you mock my old, dear suit. That is the first one I have had. I mean, since I came to the Academy." Buzz cut the first bulrushes down. "Follow me!"

The travelling was slow. Buzz got sweaty in five minutes from cutting the vegetation, and let Booster continue with pleasure. The Jo-Adian was a little upset, but did not say anything. Mira and XR were conversing about the accurate direction; they both had their own opinions. Every now and then, a weird rustle came from the surrounding bushes, but it did not disturb them. 

"Hey, I stepped on something!" Buzz cried suddenly. "This seems to be… a nest?"

Everybody turned to look at his feet. 

"Oh, uh, if that is not disturbing, Captain, then what is?" Booster smiled widely.

"Luckily only one egg went broken. The others are still entire", Mira said.

XR stretched his arms to pick up one of them. Buzz was cleaning his boot from the mess, darning his bad fortune. 

"Hope that the mother-bird doesn't show up! She would not be happy to see this."

"Ok, Buzz, you don't have to worry about that bird", XR said, with infirm voice, "These namely aren't bird eggs at all."

"What are you saying, XR?" Mira raised her eyebrows, "They are certainly not kilppari's or krokotiili's eggs, either, we are that far from the sea."

"No. They belong to another kind of reptile. One, which lives in these kinds of meadowlands, where it is easy to hunt." 

The others now looked at the robot very angrily. 

"Again trying to scare us, eh?" Booster scowled. 

XR only shook his shoulders: "Look from your holo-maps, what this meadow is called."

"Mira, you do so", Buzz ordered, "Booster, continue making us the way. We have to get forward. And remember to watch out the nests, if there are more of them."

"Buzz, listen, about this meadow…" Mira began, "It is called Ju'Ras Ic. And it is marked with a warning signal."

"Ju'Ras Ic?" Buzz' felt his blood getting solid. His face went totally pale, and his eyes were just staring at nothing.

"What's wrong, Captain?" Mira asked, getting nervous.

Buzz seemed to get his senses back in a flash: "Run! I said, RUN! As fast as you can! NOW!"

Startling a bit, the others got some movement to their feet. Booster took XR under his arm, and puffed forward. Buzz followed just behind, and Mira was the last one. Wondering what this all was about; she turned her head around, in order to see behind her. Right at that moment, two evil-looking animals appeared into her sight.

"What in the galaxy are those?" She shouted at the others, "They look like Sebulba but seem to be less intelligent." 

"They are velociraptors. Remember, those, which we saw in John Hammond's zoo on planet Isla Nublar."

"I didn't get any sight of them. They were so much covered with the palm-leaves. But I remember that they ate a cow in seconds!"

"That is why you should stop blabbering and just run!"

The animals did not cease to follow the group. Moreover, they multiplied: in addition to the two, which had first begun to chase them, there were now three more.

"Look out, Mira!" Buzz bawled, as he saw one of the new velociraptors jumping right behind the woman's back. But he was not able to prevent the happenings: the animal had already attacked. With its crooked laceration cloves, which were the most deadly part of its feet, it tore a deep wound in the princess' back. Mira bellowed and fell down.

"No! Mira!" Buzz halted his running, and turned around to see what has happened to her. Booster and XR were already far away, and did not come back. 

Five angry raptors had gathered around Mira's motionless body. One of them was still standing on her back, and mused where to begin the 'dinner'. Buzz felt insecure, for his laser did not seem to have any effect on them. 

"Blast! Mira, how are you? Alive, still? Give me a signal if you can hear me!"

She did not react anyhow.

"Don't you give up, Mira!" Buzz' voice was breaking, as he shot at the beasts in vain.

The raptors stood still, not caring about the ranger's attempts to hurt them. The one who had got the princess, opened its jaws, in order to take a bite of Mira's foot. A wide row of sharp, tiny teeth came in the daylight. Buzz concluded, that this one was the leader, because none of the others tried to get their share of the game.

"Awful monsters! Now I have had enough of you! Let go of her!"

Buzz' anger was sizzling inside, when he returned to the place, where Mira was just about to lose her femur. Even though the ranger knew that he could not kill the animals with his current equipment, he was bold enough to go among them to save his friend. 

All the raptors laid their eyes on Buzz Lightyear, as he stepped in front of them. A slimy gleam in the reptiles' eyes proved him, that there were no humanly feelings inside them.

"Alright, step down from her back." Buzz targeted his words towards the leader. "Or else I will kill you."

The beast, however, just looked simple-mindedly at the ranger, and soon concentrated on tearing Mira's suit, again. Buzz was at a loss what to do, until he saw something shiny on the ground. His scythe. He had thrown it away only half a minute ago. And there it was! He picked it up, and roared one time still:

"I said, _let go of her_!"

Now all the raptors startled and took a couple of steps backwards. This scythe, which they thought to be Buzz' toe clove, had scared them a bit, for none of them had as handsome 'nails' as this. With the help of this new weapon, Buzz made his way right next to the half-unconscious princess. The wound, which reached across her back from right shoulder to the left flank, was terrible to look at. Especially when the tattered suit was all over in blood.

"Good gracious… Mira, try to rise up. Please…"

Buzz had to put the scythe down, when he helped Mira to sit. When seeing this, the raptors recollected their courage, and a low snarl filled the air from every direction. 

"We must hurry, Mira… I am sorry." 

With these words, the ranger lifted her lightly in his arms, and stood up. The animals were only at a couple feet distance. 

"I hope I don't hurt you much, I try to avoid touching your wound", Buzz whispered to Mira, and launched his wings out. Using the jetpack, he then dived in the air, and flew away. The five velociraptors were left in the club-rush field, without their dinner.

Meanwhile, Booster and XR had reached the forest. Resting now for the first time after their flee from the field, they began to converse. 

"At last we are safe! The raptors won't follow us here, where the shelter of the bulrushes is not available." Booster knew. "And I must say, we are in the right direction. That path seems to be used pretty often."

XR looked at him wonderingly and then said:

"I didn't know that you were familiar with those beasts. You surely have your clever moments, too." 

Booster was totally taken by this sudden compliment, especially when it came from XR, the wisest robot of the galaxy. But his happiness was not supposed to last long, for soon after the robot continued:

"However, Booster, have you not noticed, that some of us are missing?"

True it was, that neither of them had seen Mira and Buzz in many, many minutes. This made Booster go very pale, and also XR seemed to have lost his eternal sarcasm skills. He only said:

"I hope they aren't dead!"

Bringing the idea into words made them both panic. 

"Dead! Never! We cannot survive without them!" This was Booster's first cry.

"Oh, let's calm down, now! I will contact them with the wrist communicator", XR decided.

"Yes, that you must do. Perhaps they have just got lost, and are in some other part of the forest."

XR opened the communicator and tried to call to Buzz. However, nobody was there to answer, no matter how many times he tried.

"You can try Mira, Booster", XR said, worry in his metal-sounding voice. "I will keep trying to contact our Captain."

Booster did as the robot had told him to do, but was not successful either. Even Mira did not answer.

A grave silence fell over the two rangers.

However, the truth was that Buzz and Mira were not so far away. Buzz had been still in the air, when receiving XR's calls, but could not answer because Mira was lying in his arms. Now he had landed in the forest, some half a kilometer forward from the place where the others were, and put Mira down. He found her a soft, mossy place and settled her there on her stomach, so that her wound would not get dirty. Then he opened the wrist communicator and called to XR.

"Roger, XR? Where are you? We are in the forest, about 800 meters from the club-rush field. Mira is hurt. I repeat, Mira is hurt."

The relief and joy in Booster and XR were enormous when hearing their Captain's voice. XR immediately answered,

"We roger, Buzz. We will track you with my in-built radar, and be there in a minute."

"Hurry. Mira is not doing so well. I need you to check out her injuries, XR."

"Then, we'll be there under a minute."

The communication stopped. From XR's neck rose a funny-looking, little radar, which beeped continuously. 

"Buzz is in that direction", he told Booster, "Let's go. With jetpacks."

Buzz was carefully trying to get the rags of Mira's space suit out of the deep wound. 

"This trip hasn't started so well with you. You didn't even have the time to get your own stuff with you, and now the only spare space-suit, which I got in 42, is useless. I think we better get you back to Tangea, into a hospital."

Mira gave a silent cry, and opened her eyes. Her gaze was straying, and she did not recognize Buzz.

"Just don't try to rise up, princess", the Captain was truly worried about her, "XR will be here, soon."

Right after these words, the robot appeared in sight with Booster. 

"Hi, Buzz! We found you!" the Jo-Adian yelled from the air. 

"About the time. Get your butts down here, and quickly. Mira needs help immediately!"

They landed, and XR rolled next to the weak girl. 

"Cheesy moon, what has happened to her?" 

"It was the raptor. Now, can you do anything about the matter?"

"Let's see… Yes… For her luck, the wound is pretty tidy. I mean, it can easily be stitched, and I would say she will not get even a bad scar from it. But it will be painful for many weeks, still."

XR took out his surgeon tools and began to heal Mira. 

"Uh, this would be much easier if she was unconscious. Now she is trembling all the time!"

Buzz looked at the robot's attempts to save her. A cold sweat had oozed onto his forehead, and he was eating his nails, without noticing that he still had the gloves on. Booster did not dare even to glance at the scene, and was wandering around the place nervously.

"Please, XR… Make her be alright. She is like a sister to me."

"She is dear to all of us, Captain", the robot said silently, and continued his job. 

At the same time he was giving relieving stuff to the princess, he was also cleaning, stitching, and bandaging her injury, and this whole action seemed to be so complex that Buzz began to wonder if anything good came out of it. But as the robot had done his work, nobody could have said a single bad word to him: he had done it wonderfully.

"She will be totally fine, if only she will rest for a couple of days", XR blurted, at the same time that Buzz was embracing him in gratitude. 

"Uh, ouch! Eeks!" Booster's voice came from the bushes, and made the others (except Mira) jump in the air with fright. 

"Booster? What is it? Are the raptors here?" Buzz roared, and was looking for his scythe, which, however, had been left to the bulrush field. "Say that you are alright!"

After a short moment, the Jo-Adian came back to them, his suit wet, and massaging his knee. 

"No raptors. But something else you really should see. I think we are not far away from our destination, any more."

"What do you mean? We should have at least a mile left."

"Go and look what I found. It is right there, behind those two tall Koipallo-trees."

"XR, stay with Mira, when I am going to check this place out."

  
Booster led Buzz some twenty feet far from the point where XR and Mira were left. Warning Buzz not to get frightened, he pointed towards a statue, which was standing in the middle of a small pond.

"Holy quasar-balls, what is that if not a huge stature of Warp Darkmatter himself!" Buzz burst out laughing. "Oh my blasters, he is more egoistic than I ever thought him to be!"

The statue was made of blue marble, and was quite pompous. Darkmatter's right, huge weapon arm was pointing straight forward, towards a path. In his other hand, the stature kept a helmet, which obviously was an accurate copy of the one that Agent Z had. 

"Look at that expression on his face, Booster. He looks so self-centred and proud! Oh, I gotta have a picture of this. XR probably has a holo-camera." Buzz just could not stop laughing. His tension, caused by Mira, was bursting out, and Booster wondered what was wrong with him. 

"I don't think it is that funny, Captain. That root there made me fell down, and I smashed onto that pond. Now look at me, I am thoroughly wet."

"No, you aren't! The space-suit is water-proof."

"Well, anyway, my knee hurts!"

"Let's get Mira and XR here, and follow that path. By the way, you will have the privilege to carry her, while I am showing the way." Still giving a couple of titters, he went back to get the group together. 

The path, which started from the statue, was obviously rather often used, because the hummock had not conquered it. It was surrounded by the forest from both sides, and the trees just kept going taller and taller. The haze of the mountains was soon hanging above their heads. 

"Is everybody's visor down?" Buzz confirmed. "That white stuff is the poisonous mist."

"I don't need a visor, because I am a robot. The poison does not have an influence on me." XR grinned.

"You should still put it down."

"No! It is so hot, here! I need this refreshing wind to get into my lungs…"

"XR, you cannot feel heat, nor have you got lungs, so stop blabbering insane things, and concentrate on our journey. And moreover, obey your Captain", Buzz snapped at the nosy robot.

But before XR could do anything to put his visor down, a huge accident encountered him: a gigantic bird had made a fast dart towards him from the air, and napped his head in its beak. Then it flew away, and left XR's headless body behind. Booster, who was carrying Mira, almost dropped her, as he saw what happened.

"Aagh! What was that! Smashing pumpkins, XR!"

Also Buzz was terrified. XR's distant yell could be heard somewhere in the middle of the mist: 

"Help! This bird is going to eat my head!"

…To be continued…


	7. Out of the trap

The night in Naboor's jungle, in the trap, was terribly hot. For Emperor Zurg's luck, he was unconscious, still, and did not have to shoo away the ugly-looking insects and worms, which crawled out from everywhere; that was Warp's duty. 

In the midnight, the rain began. It was hard, jungle rain, which pattered heavily against the walls of the trap hole, and made the two prisoners go thoroughly muddy. Warp tried to take care of the Emperor's deep wound, so that it would remain as clean as possible, but after many hours' tensed watching, he began to give up. He could no more feel the beat in the Emperor's veins, and a cold sentiment flooded into his body. Was he in that terrible place with a corpse?

Not before the chilly morning hours, when the rain had ceased and the sun was still slumbering behind the mountains, Darkmatter heard voices. More specifically human talking. Somebody was approaching. He stood up with a new spirit of hope in his mind and began to yell.

"Help! Help! Help us! Over here!"

Not a minute passed by until Warp saw five black shadows peek down at him. 

"Are you hurt?" a male voice asked. 

"No, but my friend is. Help us out of here! Please! I'm afraid that he will die. I mean, if he already hasn't." A deep gulp accompanied his last sentence.  

Fussy mumbling from above proved that somebody was giving orders. Soon after, a wooden ladder was given down.

"Climb up! We will take you to our village to recover."

"I don't think I can move my friend. I don't know how badly he is hurt. Does any one of you have a laser light?"

"No, but we've got these." Two creatures with torches began to descend.

"Thank goodness! My friend lies here. He has quite a wound in his shoulder." Warp explained, kneeling down to Zurg. The Emperor's forehead and body were thoroughly in cold sweat.

"He has lost a lot of blood, but is still alive", said a soft woman's voice, "However, I must say, he is very lucky if he makes it."

"Yes, Azile, but we must try", the other one said, "Go home and help your mother make a room for him."

"Aye, papa."

Warp saw in the weak light how she went up the ladder and disappeared. 

"You, blue one. What is your name?" The man asked.

"Warp Darkm..."

"You seem to be a rather strong man", he continued, without listening the answer, "Turn around, I will lift him on your back. Elrond!", the man yelled to someone above, "put the ladder more horizontally. They are too steep now."

The order was taken and soon Warp found himself climbing up the Emperor on his back. As he reached the freedom, two men helped his friend lie onto a fast-made litter. As Agent Z, Darkmatter had learnt to hide his feelings, but this moment was so huge a relief, that he wiped secretly a tear from the corner of his eye.

"Thank you", his voice was husky. "But who are you guys?"

"I am Lord Gnir", said the man who just came up from the trap. He was in his sixties, and despite the darkness, Warp could see that he had a powder white hair. Lord Gnir continued, pointing out two rather short men, who were taking care of Zurg's litter,

"These are my friends Elrond and Haba. And my son, Benjamin."

The men bowed to Warp, who tried to do likewise, although it didn't quite suit his image.

"Thank you all once again", he mumbled. Also thanking was far from his usual habits, and therefore it was a bit difficult for him.

Zurg was still in another world, and knew nothing of the things that were happening around him. He was carefully carried forward along a strange path by Elrond and Haba. Warp followed the litter with Benjamin, as Lord Gnir led the whole group. Continuously he tried to ask where they were going –he was namely totally lost– but nobody gave him an answer. All the four men were silent as a tomb. Only Benjamin once told him not to ask so much, because he would soon get his answers, anyway. 

Their journey went trough the deepest part of the woods, as well as across a stinky swamp and a cold, rocky valley. After wandering half an hour in the moonlight, which slowly began to turn to a beautiful sunshine behind them, Warp started to see lights. They came from various, crystal-shaped lanterns, which suddenly filled the whole forest. They were all around him –reaching even the highest branches of the hundred-feet Itrakutsa-trees as well as the surface of a little lake, where they were floating like little, magical boats. The color of the hazy light changed every now and then, from red to violet, and there to blue, silver and dark green. 

The group slowly approached an odd-looking house, which was at least four meters high, with only one floor. It was like a huge gingerbread cottage with its dark, wooden walls, nice decoration and straw roof. It was not a small place; Warp estimated that it was at least 400 square meters large. They had to climb steps to the veranda, which spread along the whole southern wall, to get to the front door. Those crystal-like lanterns were at every window, making the atmosphere unreal. Warp eyed the sight in wonder.

"Not a poor guy, this Lord Gnir…" he murmured to himself.

A pleasant aroma of newly prepared soup soared into Warp's nostrils from the half-open kitchen window. The litter-carriers were ordered inside. Warp was anxious to know what the situation was,

"About time! Where are we? And how is Zurg?" 

Lord Gnir turned to him abruptly and gave him a suspicious scowl,

"Zurg? Evil Emperor Zurg?"

Warp looked at him with careful eyes. Ouch! He should never have mentioned his real name. But it was too late now.

"Yes –he is Emperor Zurg."

The Lord took a deep breath and looked at him very severely. It was somehow against his conscience to save a man, who had made a hell out of all the Naboor inhabitant's lives. But against his heart was also the idea of letting him die. Warp Darkmatter he had not yet recognized, but as the Agent Z's metal arm began to shine in the early rays of the sun, he realized with whom he was dealing with, and got a bit scared.

"You know, M-Mr. Darkmatter… it is difficult for me to consider taking care of Emperor Zurg in my house after all the mean things he has done to my people." He finally whispered to Warp, with infirm voice.

"I understand", Darkmatter played with his scythe-like fingers, "But… it is not impossible that he would change his mind about you –if you saved his life."

Lord Gnir doubted the likeness of that idea. Once that evil man would wake up, he would probably destroy everything they still had left. But his heart was good and he yielded,

"I cannot promise anything. But my wife and daughters will do everything they can for him."

Warp nodded. He felt very tired, and was only happy with the doubtful reception. The excitement of the day, the exhausting escape of Needa, the hours spent under the ground and the long walk, made their duty.

"Come inside, Mr. Darkmatter", Lord Gnir said with a low tone, "My wife shows you to your room. Would you like to have some soup?"

Only now Warp realized how hungry he was. He had not eaten for hours –actually not after the short breakfast. 

"Thank you." He dragged himself inside and sat at the kitchen table. He was soon served with the most delicious soup he had ever tasted.

Zurg was lying feebly on a straw bed nearby a fireplace. The original bed of that room, which was meant for a woman, was too short for his height, which happened to be over seven feet. Two women were taking care of him. Not an hour went by, before his shoulder had been cleaned up and stitched, and tied in a bandage. His clothes were changed to clean and dry ones, and he had two warm blankets around him (one would have been too short, so he needed another around his feet). The women were watching his state continuously.

"He seems to be rather calm. The trembling has gone by."

Azile looked at her mother with a relieved expression. She was the eldest daughter of Lord Gnir, twenty-six years old. She was not a beauty, but still very kind looking, and was always on a good mood. She had a soft voice and a beautiful smile on her face. 

"Yes, dear, I believe he will make it after all", her mother said, taking her daughter's hand. 

They both looked at the Emperor again, not yet knowing who he was. 

Zurg's shaggy hair, thick eyebrows and the stubble –all of them black– made him look like a robber. Orange light from the fireplace enhanced his majestic features.

"He must be a man of fifty. Or what do you think, mama?"

"Pretty close, I would say", Zola, the mother, smiled and rose up from her chair, "Do you want to stay here with him? I would like to go to sleep, and I think we should not bother Adelante with this. Can you stay the night here?"

Azile stared dreamily at the Emperor.

"I will stay here. I have nothing to do at my place, anyway." 

When her mother had left the room, she went to the window and opened it. What a beautiful morning. All the other four moons were still aloft, either full or beautiful sickles, and the planet Angelica itself shone her magical green in the east. Fresh scent of Taistelukala-flowers filled the chilly air. Azile sighed and played with a lock of her hair. The fire crackled in the fireplace and made the long shadows play on the walls. Zurg coughed a little and Azile went to check him. As she drew the blanket a little more close to his throat, she could not avoid evaluating his wide chest and muscles. 

"I wonder if he has someone who to embrace with those strong, hairy arms..." 

Smirking melancholically to herself, she then sat on the floor, and only stared at him.

Azile had the tendency to be a little depressed, sometimes. However, she thought she had the right to be like that, because, in her opinion, an unmarried woman of twenty-six needed all the pity she could get. Had she known that it was not at all surprising or shameful on other moons and planets, she probably would not have felt so desperate. But she had always lived in a restricted society, in one village only. She had never been farther than ten miles from home and was blindly learned to follow the manners of her own tribe. And in her tribe, women got married at least in the age of twenty.

"At least I have my dreams..."

She sighed, and set Zurg's feeble palm to lean against her cheek. Then she pressed her forehead against his knuckles and wrinkled her eyebrows.

"Please, don't die. I have this feeling, that some day you will change my life, and take me out of this darn village, which, in all its sweetness, is like a prison to me!"

Later that morning, after a wonderful breakfast, Warp was on a hayfield, working as hard as the original villagers. They namely needed all the help they could get –and Warp was just glad to do something useful. Sitting by the Emperor's bedside would have been even more exhausting –and besides, hard work seemed to chase the worries away. There, under the bluest sky he had ever seen, he enjoyed the warm sunshine and the peace of nature, and was sure his friend would soon get better. 

He had slept on a couch in the living room, because the guest room had been given to Zurg's private usage. However, that had not disturbed him at all. He had been in a shower, and got new clothes from Benjamin, although the right sleeve of his T-shirt had to be torn away, so that his huge weapon arm would go trough it. 

But now, on the field, it was actually so hot that he had to throw his shirt totally away. He glanced amused around, when doing this. From the beginning of the day, all the other twenty workers had been scared to death when realizing who he was. Luckily Lord Gnir, which seemed to be a some kind of a leader of the village, had succeeded to convince the others that Mr. Darkmatter would not harm anybody, but was here only due to the dreadful circumstances. However, every time he did something exceptional, the others took many steps farther from him. And now, when throwing his shirt on a hay-bale, he curiously followed the reactions. 

A new record: only five villagers hid among the tall hays. Warp was cheerful and continued his work with lightened heart. He knew that a big part of it was still supporting goodness, although the job as Agent Z had been his choice. But he had taken it merely because of the need of money.

The sun burned on his back and made his blue shade go deeper. His thoughts were with the Emperor, as he cut the hays with his scythes. Zurg had still been unconscious at eight a.m. when Warp had gone to see him. He had found Azile sleeping beside his bed, and had woken her up. She had been a little confused, but had luckily been able to make a diagnosis that Zurg was getting better. 

From these thoughts, Warp was forced to come back into the current moment, when he started to feel a stare on his backbones –as if somebody would have been secretly observing him. His let his eyes wander across the field, and finally saw a woman who was firmly looking at him from the road, which went by the hayfield. She turned her eyes elsewhere when realizing that Warp had seen her, and continued her way. However, after some minutes, she turned to watch the man's working again, and did not get scared anymore, even though Warp glanced at her slyly every now and then.

Her mystic appearance made Warp feel excited. Who was she? Whether she was staring at his right machine arm or his extraordinary torso, he did not know, but all in all he felt itches in his abdomen. This woman was surely many years younger than he, probably eighteen or nineteen. The eye-game between them continued, until it was time for siesta and dinner. Then Warp saw her run away.

Warp turned his right hand's scythes to little shorter ones, picked up his T-shirt and then took rapid steps towards Lord Gnir, who waited for him at the road. The old man approached him, and nervously said,

"That was my youngest child Adelante. I hope she did not bother you." 

Warp saw that he was afraid of him hurting his daughter.

"Not at all, sir. She is very... em... interesting", Warp said and smiled encouragingly, as his eyes caught still a glimpse of her.

"You did not meet her last night, I guess. But let us move on –the dinner is served!"

At Gnir House's veranda, Warp saw that young, attracting girl again. Lord Gnir went inside, leaving him alone with her, as if that would have been his purpose. Adelante was sitting in a chair, and she had lifted her feet on the veranda's banister.

"I was waiting for you", she smiled as Warp got closer. "I guess you are the other one of our new guests."

"Warp Darkmatter at your service", he said, with exaggerated courtesy, and kissed her hand. He then grinned widely, and with sparkling eyes said,

"You don't seem to be afraid of me, at all."

"Should I be?" she smiled back.

"Perhaps."

"Perhaps you should be afraid of _me, Mr. Darkmatter."_

"Oh, I already am." 

For a short while, they both were silent. Adelante stretched her bare toes and gave a little yawn. She began to fix her thick, chestnut plait. Warp watched her every movement in some kind of an intoxication, and finally said with his dark manly voice, snapping his short scythes,

"You were evaluating me at the hayfield. So, what is your opinion about me?"

A pair of steady, green eyes turned to stare at him.

"What has happened to your other arm?" She asked frankly.

This was not the answer Warp had expected, for he would have liked to hear about his muscles or something.

"I once hurt myself. And this weapon was made to replace my lost arm. Better than nothing."

Warp was surprised when she then drew the machine closer to her and began to examine it, instead of feeling disgust. After a couple of minutes, she raised her face and gave a smile, which made Warp's heart go pudding:

"I wouldn't have the strength to drag this kind of a junk with me. It must be very heavy?"

"Well, no. Only thirty kilos. And I've got used to it."

Her voice then changed to more chaffing, and she looked at him under her eyebrows,

"I was evaluating your body, too. Not bad at all..." She slightly smoothed the air in front of his six-pack with a fingertip.

"The dinner is ready!" Zola yelled from the window.

The moment was over, and Adelante rapidly ran inside. Warp stood a moment at the veranda, still. He put his T-shirt on, and took a strong breath. 

"Don't try to charm her, Warp... You don't want to break her heart."

With these words, he followed the girl into the kitchen.

…to be continued…


	8. Awakenings

Gnir House was decorated with reddish wood and green stone. It was very fine and warm, and excessively luxurious. Lord Gnir happened to be the leader of the village, and therefore he had somewhat better accommodation than the rest of the town inhabitants. Warp liked the style, and especially the living room, in which he was spending his nights. Emperor Zurg had got the guest room –formerly the room of the eldest daughter Azile, who now had moved into her own house. All the rooms were high, actually three meters from floor to ceiling. Large windows brought space and light inside, and the white voile curtains, as well as the crackling fire in every room, enhanced the amiable atmosphere. Along an aisle that led from the living room towards the sauna and the shower in the western corner, were the rooms of Adelante and the parents Gnir, as well as the second entrance to the veranda.

Warp walked rapidly into the kitchen after Adelante. He was starving, and Zola, the mother, was really a five-stars' cook. In the middle of the room was a large log table, and benches on both sides and another end. Without asking whose place the chair at the end was, Warp threw himself lazily into it, and lifted his boots on the table. Lord Gnir, and old gray man, silently gave him way, and bent to sit next to his youngest, Adelante. The girl was terrified of this turn –nobody had ever taken his father's place on their table! No respect, no manners! This metal-junk-armed blue whale was truly a jerk. Her expression showed Warp how much she detested him right then, but Warp did not want to understand. He only stretched his arms and yawned,

"Alright, what's for lunch? My servants always start with feeding me a grape after another, until I tell them to bring the fried Grivitana-calamar and the wine in."

Zola tried to say, that she had only salmon and potatoes, and some buttercup-salad by the side. But whereas she was astonished and embarrassed, Adelante was boiling,

"Put your feet immediately down from the table! What is wrong with you? Did you act like this already at breakfast? Well, it is your luck that I wasn't there, then! And stop waving with the chair, it may fall down!"

"Oo, are we flaring up, here?" Warp answered teasingly, "Who are you to say, what I can or cannot do?" 

Clanging his right hand sharp fingers in front of her face, he tried to scare her. However, Zola put an end to the quarrel,

"Let him be, Adelante. He is our guest. But I am afraid that Mr. Darkmatter must still do without servants."

Looking Adelante sharply, Agent Z sneered,

"Well, I think I can manage. If you will give me the tail part of the fish –the part with no bones, you know."

"Naturally."

Right then Azile entered the kitchen. She had been looking after Emperor Zurg the whole morning, and was now in the need of a break. 

"What is going on, here? Uh, my every muscle hurts! I have been sitting in a wrong position, I think… Mr. Darkmatter, your friend is doing better already."

"Jeez, good to hear. Is he awake?"

"No, not yet. But he's calmer than before. It would be no wonder, if he joined us tonight for half an hour."

"I better go and check him after the lunch. Do you have a mirror and a comb for him? I tell you, he is angry like an on-stepped bee if he finds out that his coiffure is messy in front of ladies!"

"In his situation, it is only normal that…"

"You cannot understand. He is like me. The coiffure must always be tidy, no matter you were asleep or awake. Hey, why isn't my glass filled with that wine, already?"

Adelante could not hear this egoistic monster anymore calmly and cried,

"Your Majesty is good and pours himself. This ain't a guest-house, but our home. Who do you think you are? Only because you happen to be some 'Warp Darkmatter' or 'Agent Z' from some pathetic little moon of Zeta Quadrant, it doesn't make you any special in my eyes."

Zola and Lord Gnir were horrified,

"Adi! What are you saying! Be careful with your words! He is Emperor Zurg's right hand!"

"Right hand, indeed! That horrible machine!"

"Adi!"

But Warp had only started to laugh. He was actually almost choking into his laughter. 

"Whahhahhaa! Ehhehhaah! Who do I think I am, eh? Whohooo! Whee!"

"What is so funny?" Azile asked.

"I tell you who I am. I am a very remarkable person on my moon. Even my face is carved into the mountains. It is a sight really worth seeing, I have even planned to arrange some tourist trips to the 'Darkmatter Cliffs'. How beautiful work of art! Shows right from my bedroom window."

"Ok, but we are not on your moon, now."

"No. But you should still respect me and my boss, who is a powerful maintainer of the balance of the galaxy. You know, we have experienced combat fighting against a thousand-head shrewd of Galactic Alliance's best warriors –just the two of us –and  we are still alive. So what do you think? Can you and your villagers be much a threat to us? Besides, I am a good hunter. I never miss a shot."

Loading his weapon hand, he then continued eating his salmon. Everybody were silent, although most likely thinking about Warp's words in their heads. They were scared, and even Adelante did not dare to say anything further. The awareness of the missile launcher and the laser gun in Warp's mechanic part kept their mouths shut. Warp was obviously not to be played with –at least, not too much. He always had to be the winner, some way or another. 

* * * 

Zurg woke up very late that day. His head was as heavy as hundred black holes, and it hurt like somebody would have stabbed his brains again and again. When he got his eyes half open, he wondered where he was. He tried to look around. The only thing he remembered from his last 24 hours was that he had been walking with his apprentice Darkmatter in a jungle –and after that –everything was black. 

The room was very cozy. The walls were made of warm-colored wood as well as the floor and the ceiling. But how high the ceiling was! Almost as high as his private chamber in Z-Tower. Where was he? He turned his head and saw two green carpets and a purring cat lying on the floor. A fire crackled happily in the fireplace despite that it was mid summer outside. Rays of sunlight made the beautiful flowers on the table smile happily. Zurg tried to rise, but soon after taking support from his left arm, he fell back to bed, groaning miserably. He touched his shoulder. It was well tied under a bandage.

"Uh… What? What is this? What has happened to me?" 

Azile opened the door and saw the Emperor awake. She smiled friendly and went to pour him a glass of water. However, she was nervous, because of the little depute at the dinner table. Carefully she took out a comb and a mirror and placed them on the table. Then she looked at him with fear and severity in her eyes,

"I need to clean your wound now. Otherwise It may become inflamed."

Zurg looked at her dully. He did not like to be in weak condition; it somehow seemed to eat his masculinity and tuff image. He was supposed to be a powerful emperor, not like a little baby in a cradle. He was on a very bad mood. As Azile tried to approach, he bawled,

"Do you not touch me! My shoulder is just fine as it is."

Azile felt bad, for she was thinking about Mr. Darkmatter's words. This man was clever and stubborn, and perhaps violent. Obviously he had the habit of being crusty without a good reason even to strangers. But Azile was there for a reason, and therefore persuasively said,

"I must insist that you let me look at it. We haven't checked it since last night when you were brought in!"

"What day is it?" 

"July the 17th. Now... Let me see your wound." 

Azile tried to maintain her calmness and friendliness despite the man's threatening gaze. Zurg resisted still a little, but as soon as she began to open his bandages, he seemed to calm down. Azile got the canvas off after a couple of minutes' work. It was a little messy from dry blood.

"Now, wait just here, I will fetch some things."

Zurg watched her as she went to pour some hot water from a cattle above the fireplace. He saw a woman, probably twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a very pleasant figure. She had a plenty, light-brown hair, gathered above her occiput with a green ribbon. Her face was more good-natured rather than really beautiful, but she had a very pretty smile and a cute nose. Zurg did not quite comprehend the situation, and asked,

"Where am I? And who the quasars are you?"

"My name is Azile Gnir. You are in a village called Maito. My family saved you and your friend from a trap-hole last night."

"Ah, yes… We are on Naboor… And we fell suddenly underground… and something sharp hit me."

"It was a lance. Luckily your friend did not hurt himself, otherwise you would still be lying there. He shouted us for help."

"Darkmatter? Where is he?"

"Taking a nap on the living room sofa. He sent my mother to the blacksmith's to order him a new buckle for his trousers' belt. He wants letter 'W' carved in it."

"Good… Just a pity that your mother has already left. I would have ordered a belt buckle with 'Z'."

Returning back to the Emperor, Azile wetted a corner of a little linen with spirits. Then she pressed it without warning against his wound. Zurg felt insufferable pain as the spirits made his shoulder smart.

"Aaaargh! Grrr! Stop that! Stop that immediately!" he nearly spitted as he shouted at her face, "It hurts!"

Azile took a good fright and jumped up, but then she encouraged herself and got more determined,

"If you would stay still, it wouldn't hurt as much!"

Zurg was covering his wound with his right hand and groaned threateningly,

"If you and your people had not dug that trap, this would never have happened!"

"And if you, Evil Emperor Zurg, would leave us enough food and not let your men steal everything year after year, we would not have to dig those traps!"

"My army needs to eat, also!"

"So cultivate your own planet!"

"How ridiculous! Cultivate Planet Z! Wraah mwaha haah! I have never heard anything as funny!"

Azile pressed the linen towards his shoulder so hard that it ached even more, and the Emperor reacted by pushing her harshly on her butt to the floor.

"Never do that again, woman! Never irritate me!"

Anger and coldness reflected from the Emperor's eyes, as he rose up. He walked to the window and looked at the garden. Then he lowly snapped Azile,

"Get out!" 

Azile left the room with angry steps, massaging her aching butt, and threw the door shut. The Emperor was left alone with his painful injury.

"Mrrh! How sufferable a woman!"

Zurg touched the stitches, and grimaced from agony. What could he now do for the matter himself? He had had very skillful doctor grubs on Z, who had taken care of his every scratch. And they did not lose patience with him, ever! But they were not at hand, this time. This disappointing fact made the Emperor rethink the help of that brunette, who he had just sent out of the room. He grabbed his boots, which were laid next to his straw bed, and threw another of them against the door.

"Come back immediately, woman!"

Soon after, Azile peeped in and scowled at him, trying to act cool and not scared,

"Now what?"

Zurg was not to be bluffed, however, and he sensed that only one angry word from him would scare her away. He knew that he was at least seventeen inches taller than her, and that he was looking very somber. Therefore, selfish as he was, he made some effort to be tolerably polite, as far as the wound would be in bandage, again. With a calm, low voice he said,

"Finish your job with my shoulder. It is smarting."

Azile sighed and looked down. Her mother and father were already more than afraid of their guests, and she did not want to add their concern. So she returned, and reluctantly pressed a hot, wet towel against his injury and wiped off the blood. Zurg watched her little fingers open a new roll of bandage.

"Since I must spend quite quiet life for a week or two, I have some wishes that I need you to fill. I want you to get me loads of bon-bons and lollipops. Nana Zurg gave me those every time I was sick. I also want a virtual reality video game –Age and Empire 666 is my favorite. And some music –I see there is a ZD-player on the wall, but have you got the 'Dark Side Gangsta Rap' or 'The Imperial March'? If not, then 'Emperor's New Groove' may do. Oh, and what in the galaxy am I wearing? Dreadnaughts! Orange pajama! Orange is definitely not my color. Get me a purple shirt –and a violet cape. Black and lilac may do occasionally, but at least my trousers must be dark fuchsia. And do not forget to order that Z-lettered belt from the smith."

"Can you lift your arm a bit, Emperor?"

"Sure. By the way, why are the bandages always white? Why not violet? Ah, yes, and I have still some issues to talk about with you. I need to plan my own lunches and dinners. Today I will have boysenberry pudding and plums, and hot chicken horn-ends. And as to my health –I need to have a personal gym. My wonderful muscles need some exercise."

"Cannot you share the one which will be built for Mr. Darkmatter?"

"Well –alright. I don't want to be unreasonable."

Azile tried not to smile. The last needle was finally set to hold the bandage in spot, and she rose up.

"I see what I can do."

Azile left the Emperor and went outside in the garden. She took a deep breath. Adelante joined her and they went for a little walk together.

"We should never have taken those two under our roof!" Azile cried, "I hope we would have left them in the trap for the rest of their lives!"

"True. That blue one is such an irritating creature! Thinks that he owns the place, I guess."

"I can imagine. But you have not yet talked with the Emperor. He woke up just lately."

"How is he?"

"Perfectly fine, what it comes to his health. He will be totally recovered in a week. But you hardly can come up with what he has asked me to do!"

"If he is as self-centered as Mr. Darkmatter, I can very well guess."  
"I should think he is much worse! But he is also more coarse and unrefined. Unmanageable. He just forced me to get violet and purple clothes for him! And a children's game!"

Adelante giggled,

"Well, are you going to get them for him?"

"I don't know if I can ever find those things in our village –or on the whole Naboor!"

* * * 

On planet Pulu, a total chaos was disturbing the peace of the forest, where Team Lightyear was wandering. XR's head had just disappeared totally from sight, and his loose body was rolling against a tree after another. Booster tried to catch it, but did not succeed until it sank into a little pond. 

"Phew! XR, can you hear me?"

"Of course he can't!" Buzz shouted, Mira in his arms. "The bird took his head."

"How can it work this way without the head?"

"Robots can do that. Well, don't let that tin barrel roll away. What if it falls into drift sand?"

Booster took XR's body under his arm, and bundled the hummock in between the caterpillars. 

"Now, that should prevent him –uh, _this– from escaping."_

"Our trip has been everything but successful. What do you think, Booster –must we abort our mission?"

The Jo-Adian grinned with his big sharp teeth and tried to think.

"We cannot leave XR's head behind. We must get it back."

"But look at Mira. She is getting worse, despite her wound is not bleeding any more."

"Seriously, Captain –do we have much options? 42 is in the middle of the velociraptors, XR's head is somewhere far above us on the mountains, and Mira needs a place where to rest. The only thing I can imagine is this hunting box, which we have been originally searching for. There Mira can be put on a bed, and we can concentrate on finding XR."

"You are forgetting something: what if Emperor Zurg is in the box with Agent Z?"

Booster looked down and played with a couple of buttons of XR's body.

"Seems that we are in quite a sticky situation."

In Buzz' arms, Mira opened her eyes slowly. She saw the Captain and his somber expression.   
"Uh… Where are we? What is wrong?"

Buzz turned his face immediately towards the princess and smiled relieved,

"You have come back! How do you feel?"

"A bit weak… tired. And my back hurts."

"No wonder –you have a ten-inch wound there. Cannot you remember how the raptor tore you?"

Mira's blue eyes went plates, 

"Raptors? Where? We must get out of here!"

"Calm down. We are safe. Except XR –a gigantic bird has stolen his head and taken it on to the mountains."

"Have you hit your head, Buzz? Booster, what is he blabbering about? And why am I lying in his arms? Let me down, Buzz."

Booster helped Mira on her feet, and said,

"I see you are getting back your stubborn nature, Mira. But XR's head is truly missing –Buzz did not joke on you. And now we are quite in a loss what to do. You are not so strong that you could travel far away, that is on to the mountains to find the bird's nest where XR might be. Besides, your space suit is broken. You could not possibly get inside the poisonous clouds."

"Excuse me, but I am as strong as ever! Only a couple of minutes, and I have gathered myself! Ah… Ouch! My back…"

"Don't try to bend down", Buzz advised, "Otherwise the stitches may get open."

Mira's eyes were full of tears –she had never felt such a pain before. Buzz supported her from the elbow and silently suggested that they should find a place where she could rest. Booster reminded them again of the hunting-box, and this time Buzz agreed.

"Only that we must approach the place very carefully. We don't want to be taken as their hostages, right? And now when we are just the two of us in battle condition, I must say we are fools if we try an attack."

"Yes, let's just find out the place and hope that our enemies are not there."

So continued the three-headed and four-bodied group their way towards the feet of the mountains. Two of them were walking, and the other two were carried. The sun began to descend behind the hills in the east, and the shadows played a frightening game in the dark forest. Every single team member wished that the new day would rise soon. Especially XR, whose head was the play tool of the little fledglings in the nest of a horrible bird called Valvova Silmä. 

…to be continued…


	9. The hunting-box

In the midnight on Pulu, Team Lightyear found itself in a bush area. Sharp branches of little roses, hawthorns and other shrubs tried to tore rips to their suits. The air was humid and heavy, and Buzz was worried about Mira's condition. The injury was in danger to get festered.

"Look, there is a cottage! That must be the one we have been searching for", Booster whispered.

"It is dark. If Zurg and Darkmatter are there, they must be sleeping", Buzz answered, "I will go ahead to check the situation. You keep an eye on Mira, and XR's body."

"Yes, Captain! But be careful!"

Buzz tried to move without making any noise. Sometimes a couple of dry branches cracked under his boots, as always in this kind of situations, and one time he fell down, but for his relief, the hunting box stayed dark and silent. Carefully the ranger sneaked next to the wall and looked inside from the window.

"Hmm… pretty messy place. I see Mr. Nurminen and Darkmatter are not very tidy men…", he thought silently, "Unless the mess is caused by Zurg. I can imagine he is not accustomed to hoover…"

Buzz stepped cautiously under another window. 

"Aha, the bedroom! But nobody is here!" 

In the weak moonlight Buzz distinguished a wide bed, a desk on which were a couple of open books, and plenty of pictures on the wall. 

"Nothing… But what about the other end of the house?"

The Captain rapidly passed by the strong, wooden door and ended up lurking behind the northern corner.   
"Phew! I hope nobody saw my shadow!"

Very slowly he straightened himself up and leaned against the wall. At his right side was the last of the three windows of the cottage. 

"For the first time during our trip I hope I _don't find the Emperor and his apprentice!"_

And so he tried to see in. It was very somber, but still Buzz could make out that this was another bedroom. But was there somebody sleeping on the bed? The Captain could not be sure. He opened his visor so that he could press his nose against the window glass and see better.

"Ah… Blast, there is somebody sleeping, definitely. But which one of the two outlaws he is, I cannot tell…"

Then suddenly that somebody rose up and jumped on the table, just in front of Buzz' face. Buzz yelled in surprise and jumped backwards. Immediately he had tuned his wrist laser and targeted it towards the window,

"Don't try any tricks with me! I have a hundred-headed support group right behind those bushes!"

But the one behind the glass was as confused as the Captain, and after crying loudly 'meow', it jumped forward and broke the window with its hoofs.

"Ohh… it is a.. a... a moose!" Buzz switched his ray off, "Luckily I left Booster behind, this is so embarrassing!"

Wiping sweat out of his forehead, Buzz went inside. The cottage was dim and full of spider webs, and some determined weeds were growing trough the floor. After the poky porch, Buzz stepped inside a combination of kitchen and living room. The phosphorescent green shimmer of his suit made everything look very rough.

"Now, where is the light? This place needs really a good cleaning!"

Buzz opened the door to the southern bedroom. It was almost as large as the living room, and it was decorated with violet and bright red canvases.

"This room seems to be perfect for Mira… But where is that stupid animal?"

Walking trough the other rooms, Buzz pushed the other closed door open. 

"Miniature Zurg helmets, that big cloven-hoofed animal is stuck!"

"Meow! Mouurr! Uaaah! Ommooo!" the moose moaned, "Snooh, snooh… Maourr! Ieeerk!"

"Oh, stop that horrible noise! I am coming to help you!"

Buzz saw that the brown and gigantic pal was very badly jammed in the window. 

"Ok, let's see… How can I get you out of here? Hmm… Your front legs and snout are already outside, but your antlers and the rest of the body are inside. And there's no way that I could push you out –nor drag you back in."

The moose only moaned desperately. Buzz snorted because the animal's natural scent was not the most pleasant one.

"I guess my only option is to cut the window frames off. I hope Mr. Nurminen doesn't mind too much, when he next time comes here."

After fifteen minutes, the job was done and the deer was free to go away. However, it had to take the frames along, because they were stuck into his neck.

"Remember to bring that back!" Buzz shouted after him, and laughed at his own stupid joke, "Ah, now I can call Booster and the others here!" 

Half an hour later, a fire was crackling in the cottage's fireplace, and Mira was sleeping on a soft bed in Warp's room. The rangers decided that it had to be Darkmatter's room, because the walls were full of his pictures. However, he had a good taste what it came to the furniture, because the bed was excessively comfortable and the table was handmade of pure cherry-tree. The lamp which softly lightened the room had a brand new golden crystal, and the wardrobe was full of best quality clothes. 

"Do you feel better now, Mira?" Booster asked, and the princess gave him a slight smile.

"A cup of water would be nice."

"I'm gonna get it for you."

Buzz stepped inside the room just when Booster was going out to the kitchen-living room. 

"Nobody has been here for a while. Hope you don't mind that the bed is a bit dusty. We changed the sheets and beat the most dirt out of  the blankets, still." 

"I'm just fine… Uh, only that I am so frustrated!"

"Do you want something to read? Let's see what's on the table… Oho, this must interest you very much. A letter course –five steps to the dark side!"

"A what? No, that does not interest me at all. Who on this galaxy would read something like that?"

"Perhaps Zurg has given this to his 'Agent Z'!"

Booster now came in, and brought the glass of water.

"That would explain the light saber in the garden, right?" he said, supporting Mira gently as she drank.

"Let's have a look at this, just for fun", Buzz smiled, and opened the thin book.

In the first page he read out loud,

"This is a week's course towards the glory of the dark side. Follow the instructions and develop your brains according to this leaflet, and you will find out a totally new side in you."

"How funny! Who is the author?" Mira tiredly grinned from the bed.

"Wait a second… Some guy called E. Palp-18. Never heard before."

"Me neither."

"So… What does it tell you to do?" Booster was a bit interested.

"Here are five different chapters in this book, I see. First one: Make Sure the Your Name Sounds Evil."

"Aha, Warp has done that. Agent Z, you know!" Booster realized.

"Second chapter: Cut Your Right Hand and Replace It With A Mechanical Part."

"Gee, what would XR say about this?" Mira giggled, "But Warp has done what the chapter says, right?"

"He has been a really good student", Booster declared.

"Who else has ever read this seriously? Come to think of it, also that deceased Dark Fader had a mechanic hand –or that's what I have been reading. But only down from the wrist –not the whole arm!" Mira had real fun, "And his original name was something like Ananas Skytalker, wasn't it?"

"Yep, he was most likely the student of this Palp-18 also", Buzz agreed, "Want to hear the next chapter?"

"Go ahead!"

"Hide Your Face Under An Evil-Looking Mask."

"Hahaa! Evil-looking, eh? Agent Z's helmet looks more like an incinerator with horns!"

Mira's head fell down on the pillow with exhaustion. 

"This is too rough for me… I need some rest."

"Sure, Mira. But the chapter 4 is about the lightsaber! Learn to Build A Light Saber –Red One."

Booster happened to look in the trashcan right at that moment, and saw there a little silvery tube. 

"Hot rockets! Here we got one! A lightsaber!"

"Let me see it!" Buzz was keen on to take it.

After handling the tube for a while, he succeeded to switch on the saber. A purple light mixed with the golden gleam of the crystal made both Mira and Booster gasp. 

"How beautiful!" Mira sighed, "I wish I had a lava lamp like that! It would enhance my pink curtains just perfectly!"

Buzz swung the sword in the air and succeeded to drop down a miniature model of Warp's moon, which was hanging from the ceiling, onto the floor.

"Blast, what a weapon!"

"But why was it in the trash can?" Booster wondered, "Wasn't Warp satisfied with it?"

"The guide insists that it has to be a red one!"  
"Doesn't Darkmatter know that purple saber is even more powerful than the red one? He is very lucky guy when he can make a saber of that rare color!"

"But what if he was afraid that Emperor Zurg would find it out? You know, that loony royal is really crazy about that color!"

"Quite reasonable."

"Would you guys go out of the room please!" Mira cried from the bottom of the bed, "I really need some rest."

"Oh, of course", Buzz and Booster went out and closed the door behind.

They went to sit in the couch of the living room. Buzz eyed the Leaflet of the Dark Side one last time.

"The final step is to Release Your Anger."

"Bah… Put that stupid thing away."

The new morning was gradually dawning outside. Buzz yawned and he found that his eyelids were very heavy. He looked at Booster, and saw that the red alien had already fallen into a deep sleep. 

"Alright… Let's take a few hours' nap… then we have more energy to find XR… huooh…"

The Captain let his head fall onto the backrest of the coach. Soon, a hard snore was filling the room.

…to be continued… 


	10. XR is rescued

The break of a new day was gradually conquering the forests around the little hunting cottage on Pulu. The air was misty and it was rather nippy outside. Inside, however, the rangers were in warm. Under a thick blanket, Mira stretched her arms and yawned. The wound on her back shot mercilessly and she grimaced with pain.

"Ouch! How can I ever get up?" she touched her aching injury, "Thankfully XR has done a good job with this… But I could still use a doctor."

The princess let her eyes wander athwart the room. It was dusty, and the decoration was tasteless in every aspect: pictures of Warp, and nothing else. Warp with a cow, Warp with an antilope. Warp with an hyperborean tarandos, Warp with a flock of listovtsás. A large wallpaper of Warp with a susvaraabhidnja, where a little kieppusarvivuohi was also lying in front of his feet. And all the posters were in addition illuminated with phosphor frames. 

"Gosh, how egocentric a man can be?"

Nova heard snoring from behind the wooden door and guessed that Buzz and Munchapper were still sleeping. She made an effort to stand up. With pearls of sweat on her forehead, she took support from the wall and pushed herself in a standing position. It was swirling in her head and she needed to lean to a chair.

"I need to get back home! But I guess we must find XR's head first… Buzz! Come here, I'm not feeling very well! Buzz!"

In next to no time, she heard somebody fall onto the floor in the next room. She smiled at herself when the sleepy Captain opened the door and peered in.

"Good morning, Captain", she chirped with a bright tone and grinned widely, "Did you sleep well?"

"Uh, stop that, Mira… You know how I hate mornings", Buzz rubbed his neck, "What's the problem here?"

Mira looked at her pale blue hands that were squeezing hard the chair's backrest. She felt messy, hungry, thirsty and weak.

"Is there a shower around? And clean clothes? I would like to be ready in two hours."

"Ready for what?" Buzz was not following her thoughts.

"Aren't we going to save XR today?"

"Ah, now I got you. Well, the answer is no. _We are not going to save XR. But __Booster and __I are going to do that, and __you will stay right here, getting your powers back."_

Nova looked like an angry ox, "I don't like your attitude, Captain."

Buzz shrugged indifferently and sat on Mira's bed. 

"I don't mind you liking my attitude, Mira. You know you are injured, and not quite healthy enough to outside."

"Buzz…"

He made a fan from a magazine he found on the floor, and pointed towards the door with it, "The shower is over there, in the house-maid's chamber, third door at left –right after the billiard room."

"Honestly, Buzz, what is wrong with you?"

"With _me? You mean, with the __cottage! Here is no shower, nor a toilet. No food, nor a manicure. Nothing except a dead mouse in the kitchen corner."_

"You are not serious, are you?"

Buzz did not answer, only began to read the magazine he had in his hand. It was about hair gels. Mira gave up discussing with the Captain, and began to drag herself forwards. She headed towards a big, dark-brown closet, which stood at the end of the gigantic single bed. She intended to find herself an unbroken suit. Opening the heavy doors, which were decorated with carved figures of Warp, was a hard job for her, but she did not complain. Buzz followed this all in secret and wondered what she had in her mind.

"Now, what do you think about this, Buzz!" Mira victoriously cheered after a while, pulling out Warp's old Star Command spacesuit. It was little worn-out, but otherwise in an excellent condition. Lightyear's brows rose with the bolt from the blue,

"I didn't know he still had it!" he smiled and walked over, "Let me see. Hmm… Brings humorous reminiscences into my mind… As well as less happy ones. Hum… Well, krhmh, what are you going to do with it, Mira?"

"I was hoping that I could wear it today. You know, as my own suit is broken."

"Oh, please try! By all means!" Buzz went mirthful, "Oh boy, just wait a second, I wanna find a holo-camera from XR's inners, first!"

"Hardy-har, Buzz!" Mira howled after the Captain who disappeared running in the living room. Then she jumped in the suit and attached the metal parts on their spots. The whole creation was naturally way too huge for her.

"Smile!" Buzz grinned and let the flashlight blind his friend, "This is gonna win the Pulisong Prize!"

"Really, Buzz, how old are you?" Mira puffed, her face half inside the torso of the suit, "Help me out of here! This is meant for a whale-sized giant! Isn't there another suit?"

Buzz went to rummage trough in the closet. "There is! But I guess you can't use it either!" Lightyear brought out an old Agent Z uniform, "Besides that this is oversized, it also has got a hole in the place of the right arm!"

Mira shook her head so that her brilliant rogue locks floated upon her shoulders. "Go and check out the other bedroom, Buzz. There must be more clothes."

"Okay, whatever you wish…" Buzz secretly stole an amused glance at her, while she was struggling out of the space suit. 

"I won't give up! I _will take part in the rescue trip, no matter what Buzz says", Mira panted while trying to crawl out, and endeavored to get her feet out of the gigantic boots. Soon, the Captain returned with something in his arms that looked like an over-driven cow._

"Here you go, princess! A suit that is perfectly your size!"

Mira looked up and went dumbfounded, "I – I'm speechless… I really don't know what to say…"

"Well, at least somebody has used his or hers imagination when designing this." Buzz spread the spacesuit in front of the woman ranger. It was brown and had white large flowers as the decorative pattern. The visor was lime green and made of soft transparent bitumen, and the boots and gloves were yellowish white. 

"Buzz, it's positively primeval. In short, out of date. Horrible. I can't wear it."

"Uh… there were at least three other suits in the wardrobe, too, but mice or other woodland animals have eaten them. Only this particular one was left untouched."

"And I don't wonder why…" Mira sighed and adjusted into the thought that she would have to look like a clown for the rest of the journey. 

A short and moreover light breakfast was served. There was namely nothing at hand except a piece of coconut butter, tube of mustard, lingonberry pudding and compact milk cubes, which needed hot water to become liquid.

"I can do without food one morning, but I can't understand why there's no shower around", Mira glanced at Booster, "You stink like Stinky-Pete, Munchapper, and my own aroma isn't any sweeter… And Buzz smells like a moose!"

"Why thank you Mira for these refreshing comments", the Captain frowned.

Booster played with the coconut butter on his plate and snorted, "I wonder where all the red meat is… I mean, isn't this supposed to be a hunting box? There must be a piece of pemmican, somewhere…"

"Forget it, Booster", Mira said, "Besides, we must get going. The day is already far along. XR would never forgive us if we stayed here for a festive feast while he's in trouble."

"Where are we supposed to search for XR?" Buzz asked, "Of course on the mountains, but let's not forget that the air is thick with poisoned smog. The task will be hard."

Rangers Nova and Munchapper only gesticulated that they had no ideas. 

In two hours, the rangers were on their way to the mountains. The forest grew shorter; the pinewood changed into mahogany wood, the mist became thicker. Booster's articulars did not like the climbing, especially as he carried XR's heavy body, and he wanted to use the jet pack.

"No, Booster, we'll have to surprise the bird, that's why we do this in the old-fashioned way. Oh, in passing, does anyone remember what that flying ogre looked like?"

"It wasn't a normal bird", Mira brought in her mind, "It was colossal and had a long orange peak. Also, it's wings were purple from the under."

"And I recall it had black chicken legs and very tiny eyes" Buzz continued.

"I could check it out from XR's remote camera, if only I had the skill", the Jo-Adian wheezed with his load, "XR is looking at the beast all the time, isn't he, and the information of what he sees is transferring from his eyes into his scanning device in this body part."

Both Mira and Buzz fixed their eyes on the big red man in jolt. Was this Booster? They had never had the idea that he could be quick, let alone clever some day. But why not, actually? Booster had been the member of the team the skies know for how long, why could he not have learned? XR was a good friend of his, perhaps he had taken lessons with him. Or then again, perhaps he had simply been too shy before to express his ideas? In any case, Booster Munchapper now made a huge impression on his Captain and Mira.

"That was the best idea I have heard during this year from anybody", Buzz said and made Booster's red cheeks flush lilac.

"And I can realize the suggestion", Mira said eagerly, "I know a lot about XR!"

It took some time before the princess could sit down with her injury and open XR's middle body plate. After that, she had to dig and threw out some unessential objects in her way, like a wooden hat, flashlight without the flash, elephant-pictured sheets and a magazine about do-it-yourself robot girls.

"Alright… Now, I will try to get out XR's saved data to form a 2D-presentation, reflected on that cliff. Are you ready to receive it, guys?"

"Yay!"

In a little while, all of the three space rangers carefully gazed at the vision on the stonewall. No voices could be transmitted, only the motion picture of four little birds, which tried to play football with XR's head.

"We must hurry!" Booster said, "It's been a long, long night for him. But I'm glad they haven't eaten him!"

"Look, now the chirping baby beasts punted XR so that he looks downwards the mountainside. Can we locate where he is?" Mira asked.

Buzz tried to compare his own surroundings with the vision that was seen from XR's eyes. "Hmm… We aren't so far away, I guess…"

By chance, XR's head turned around once more, and next picture on the stonewall revealed the distant figures of the three space rangers.

"He's right above us!" Booster cheered, "He's gaping at us now! He is near!"

"There's a nest on that projection!" Buzz noticed.

"And now XR has seen us. He knows we're going to save him, soon. We're all together again", Mira was relieved. She added a little later, "And we can finally get back home." 

Buzz did not seem to be that content, "There are two problems, Mira. First, we can't go back before we find Zurg, my ego can't stand that kind of a disappointment. We'll find you a doc from another planet than Tangea. I promise you, we'll find you another doctor, and as skilful as ever."

Mira scowled at the Captain and considered him way too selfish. But the only thing that mattered to her was to get treatment soon, and there would be at least three day's flight to Tangea. Some other place would do as well, in this situation, so she did not protest. Buzz was satisfied and continued, "And the other problem is, how are we going to get XR out of the nest? The mama birdie isn't far away, I guess, when the little fellows are not even capable of flying, yet. If we even try climbing, we must have a shelter of some kind."

"Why don't we just shoot the bird down with our lasers?" Booster wondered.

"The lasers can not be used, because the bird species is very rare, and if the mother would be stunned for one minute, the little ones would be in a great danger", Mira replied.

"I cannot imagine them being in any kind of danger, they are so mean", Booster silently mumbled.

"Well, the laws of the Galactic Alliance prevent us from destroying or hazarding any spectacular species, was it then a plant or an animal", Mira went on, "And if we get caught… I do not want to know the results. Besides, this horrible hippie-suit of mine doesn't even have a laser."

Buzz was very disappointed and nervous because of their blocked situation, and because he could not come up with a clever solution. "I still say we shoot it down."

"No!"

"Yes!"

The atmosphere began to turn heated.

"What if someone of us will pull the head out of the nest with a magnet?" Booster carefully suggested, "While some other of us distracts the mama."

"Yes! Great idea, Munchapper! The magnet we can find inside XR's body part", Mira shone with satisfaction, "You really are clever, Booster! I admire you! And I can work as the distracter."

"_You?" Buzz was not pleased with the state of affairs, "You are __injured, and a __girl! Besides, it's the Captain's job to save his subordinates! __I shall be the distracter!"_

But Mira explained Buzz that climbing up the mountainside would be even more exhausting for her than escaping a bird, and that Booster was too slow to do either of the tasks because of his hurting knees. Dissatisfiedly Buzz agreed to be the magnet-user.

Half an hour later, Mira was hopping and bouncing at the edge of the low-grown wood, imitating some yet undiscovered bird species. "Yllpapa-papa-pa-pa-paap! Kot kotilot-iit! Hurrl-unk-unk-unk! Grohh…! A-hooongh-ah! Hirrrrrrrrllll!" She waved her hands and circled about. Booster and Buzz were having some very good time in the gloom of the high bushes that grew quite near the forest amphitheatre. "Good, Mira! You sound like an old, gouty moke!" they laughed.

"Yrrrffi-tyrrrrff! Hiiiiiiiiiirhaaaahshshshsss!" Mira continued, and was having fun herself, too. She thought she should join the Tangea Royal Theatre, some day –so well she succeeded to draw the attention of the mother bird. The evil animal was sprawling in its nest, looking maliciously around. It observed the princess carefully with a glazed eye. Mira picked up a stone from the ground and threw it towards the nest. This made the huge fowl go mad and rise in the air. The chase began.

"Now, hurry, Buzz!" Booster encouraged, "Climb up and target the magnet to the nest!"

Mira's heart was beating like a thousand drums. She was running her legs off in the mahogany forest. The closer the bird got, the bigger it seemed to grow. Trembling, she rambled forwards, scampering from one tree to another. The fowl attempted to peck and scratch Nova anxiously. The poor woman ran and ran, trying to find shelter in the shadows. "Buzz, I hope you have succeeded to get XR safe, already", she thought. 

For many minutes, Mira circled around in the forest, the bird trying to catch her. Everything was going as planned. But the princess had overestimated her strength and quickness. The malevolent animal was really close to grab her several times, and she was out of breath long before she had intended to be. Fatigued, and in pain with her injury, she fell down. 

"I can't get forwards, anymore… I just… My back… Oh, my back… Uhh…"

She buried her face into her hands and lay still. The beast stopped right above her head, swinging its huge wings. A thick veil of light-brown dust surrounded her, and it was difficult to both see and breathe. 

"Agh… This is a good thing… It's a good chance to flee now… Cough! I think it cannot see me…" Mira put all her strength to her feet and forced herself crawling under a large-leaved bush. "I hope it didn't notice me… Go away, you predator… Leave me alone!" 

Tears of exhaust and pain filled her eyes. 

Elsewhere, XR's head was attached tightly to a large magnet, and pulled out of the nest. It was now on its way down the hill in Buzz' hands. When safe again, Buzz detached the head from the magnet and took it in his left hand. "XR! XR! Can you hear me? Hello? Are you there?"

Something unrecognizable, strange blabber came from between his metal lips, "Trading was crisp at the start of the day, with some brisk business on the floor. Rubber hardened and string remained confident…"

"He's lost his reason!" Buzz melancholically noticed.

"We must get him to the doctor!" Booster observed the android worriedly.

"No, ranger Booster. What XR needs is the LGM's. And quick", Buzz tried to shake the metal head in his claws, "His 'nunnuka nunnuka lae lae lae lae' does not make any sense. He has a short-circuit, I'm afraid."  

The robot hilariously answered him, "Little bits of tin consolidated, although biscuits sank after an early gain and stools remained anonymous. Armpits rallied well after a poor start…"

Both of the male rangers sighed. It was not wise to attach the head to its place, yet, as the robot ranger was out of his mind. He would probably do more harm, if having also a body with which to bamboozle around. 

"Small dark furry things increased severely on the floor, whilst rude jellies wobbled up and bounced against rising thighs which had spread to all parts of the country by mid afternoon. After lunch, naughty things dipped sharply, forcing giblets upwards with the nicky nacky noo. Ting tang tong rankled dithely, little tipples pooped and poppy things went pong. Gibble gabble gobble went the rickety rackety roo…"

Buzz turned the robot's powers off. Thus, the head silenced also.

Some five minutes later, Mira appeared from the thicket. She had been lucky; the bush had been covering her weakened figure, in spite of her striking spacesuit. 

"Let's leave this stupid planet, Buzz… It's more dangerous here than in Z Tower!"

"You're right… There's nothing to do here, anymore. Only how do we get to the ship? The raptors are still lurking in the reed jungle", Buzz indicated.

"If we could now use the jetpacks?" Booster rolled his thumbs. 

Buzz sighed. Of course, they could use their jetpacks! There was nothing to be careful about, anymore. There was no use to make the trip any more difficult than what it already had been. The raptors could not fly. Thus, they flitted back to 42, Buzz carrying Mira (because her tremendous suit did not have a jetpack) and Booster carrying XR, who was out of electricity.

On the way in space, XR's powers were turned back on. He was as happy as ever, blabbering about the usual insensible things the whole time.

"You know, evil comes in many forms, be it a man-eating cow or a bird -or Emperor Zurg. But you can't let the package hide the pudding. Evil is just plain bad! You don't cotton to it! You gotta smack it on the nose with the rolled up newspaper of goodness! Bad dog! Bad dog!"

"XR…"

"You know, Buzz, when evil is afoot, and you don't have any arms, you've gotta use your head. And when evil is ahead and you're behind, you've gotta do the legwork. But when you can't get a leg up, you gotta be hip. You gotta keep your chin up, and…"

"XR!"

"Oh, this is going to be a hard voyage…" Mira exhaled noisily.

…to be continued…


	11. The days rolling by on Naboor

Days flew by on Naboor. Warp Darkmatter and Emperor Zurg little by little became familiar with the village they were living in, Maito. It was a little town, with about nine hundred inhabitants. The houses, more like cottages and huts, were brilliantly in balance with the surrounding nature. The high woods, which reached almost the clouds, were growing tensely around. There was no backyard without two or three of the gigantic Itrakutsa trees conquering the space from the smaller foliage. Thus, the village was by and large very shadowy, and the midsummer suns did not smolder the inhabitants with their fatiguing rays. There was only a couple of places about the town where the veil of the large leaves was absent, namely the most poorest suburb near the coastline and the environment of the deep, greenish swimming pond close to a moor. 

The village was quite inviting in every aspect. There could be found several services for the inhabitants as well as for the visitors, for example cafeterias, restaurants, hairdressers, a movie theatre, a night club, and a couple cosmetologists, not to mention the various range of clothing stores and warehouses. And from the day on, when Warp and Zurg came into town, there could also be found a gym.

Warp was not spending much time with his boss the Emperor, for the grouchy old man wanted to be in his own chamber nearly all the time. He did not want to go anyplace with his shoulder in package, because he was feeling shame of it. It had been a hard-hitting blow for his imperial pride, to be saved by some pitiable aboriginals. The next time he would go stroll outside would be the day he was perfectly recovered from his injury and regained his powers. 

Warp, instead, was a general sight in town. He stopped over in every fashion boutique and ordered loads of expensive, up-to-the-minute clothes, which he had no money to pay. He drank dozens of milkshakes and ate several good meals in the restaurants, and left without paying them. For, in addition to the fact he was penniless, nobody even had the courage to ask him for the compensation. This issue annoyed the host family Gnir's youngest child, Adelante, exceedingly. She tried to explain Warp that their village was not the richest in the universe, and that his bigheaded behavior would soon force the small enterprises close their doors. But Warp did not listen, he was only thinking about his own comfort. His egoism rose into new dimensions, and although Adelante more than ten times a day plagued him about his selfish habits, he continued still. The usual answer for her was an amused glance, which he did not even try to hide. Consequently, Adelante was boiling. Who did this too-puffed-up man think he was?

And Emperor Zurg was not any easier a case. Sitting inside day after another did not do him good, and soon he found himself immensely bored with every entertainment the Gnir House could provide. He would not come out of his room, he would not stay in. He was frustrated, angry, difficult. Azile Gnir visited him at least three times a day, bringing him the food tray. Soon the Emperor got used to her stopovers, for they were actually the only refreshing parts of his days. Thus, he had given an order that nobody except she should serve him. Azile, however, was not satisfied with this command. She was nobody's servant, except at work as a waitress of the night club. She would not spend the rest of her days serving an irate, goofy old man! But she was afraid of what would happen if she would not obey.

One morning, right after the first cock-crow, the Emperor was surprised. He was working out his powerful muscles by lifting up the heavy plant pot, and was admiring his handsome figure from the mirror when Azile suddenly came in. 

"Well, what do we have here!" she could not help sniggering at the Emperor, "We are not owies, anymore, are we?"

The Emperor flushed deep cherry and put his tautened biceps behind his back. 

"Uh… Grhm… I was just… Gruff…"

Azile laughed and laughed, even hit her knee, "Y-you are so amusing, s-sometimes, Zurg! Whah hah haah!"

Zurg's air turned sober. How did that woman dare to poke fun at him? Did she not know who he was? Of course she knew. 

"Stop that foolhardy hilarity, woman! Why did you not bang at the doorway? What if I would have been with no clothes on! Sufferable! Unacceptable!"

"Well, I don't have time to apologize you", was the answer with a suffocated giggle, "Here are your new purple trousers and your black T-shirt with the large Z-letter printed in the back."

"Ah, finally! This is a fine printing. And just the right color. Oh, Z… What a wonderful shape…" Zurg took the shirt into his hands and turned it about. He was very satisfied with the work. "But why did it take so long, Miss Gnir? I have told you to serve me hurriedly! I shall not forgive you, if this happens again!"

Azile had had an awful night at work and her nerves were tight, and this was totally the last drop. She could not restrain herself any more,

"Zurg, stop pretending like you were some rich emperor! Your empire has fallen! _Fallen! And I am also soon in the same pathetic situation with you, if you continue asking me this kind of asinine services, like 'buy me a zigzag zictured zhirt' or 'purplevioletlilacblackwhatsoeverawfulcolor trousers'! I am not rich, either! So step down, __Jerk! And __get a life!"_

Zurg was amazed and irritated about her fiery eruption. Were his requests somehow silly?

"What are you whining about, woman? My brain-pods and grubs never…"

"Aw, don't give me that nonsense! Try to realize the truth, dim-head! You've got no influence anymore, you have no riches! You are just an ordinary, ill-tempered, ludicrous, selfish and _dull old chap!"_

At the same instant Azile woke up to regret her words. Had she actually banged her head to the most evil man of the universe? And with what kind of words! She pressed her chin hard against her chest and inhaled deep, waiting what would follow.

"P-please… Don't punish my family for this…"

Zurg had indeed got offended. Long before Azile was over and done with her outburst. Grumblingly, he took two fast steps towards the nervous woman, and with one easy movement lifted her in the air from her upper arms. His eyes went razor-sharp streaks and his large hairy fists squeezed Azile's shoulders roughly. He brought his nose right against hers and nearly spitted, as the familiar, imperial rage gained power, "What do you know about my economic situation, or the influence I still possess in this galaxy, you foolish child? Actually I doubt if you know anything about anything! Working at a bar –in the age of nearly thirty! Oh, how marvelous advancements you have gained in career! Where did you begin, from the dishwasher's position? Besides, you should remember by now that _nobody plays with me, least of all a chubby unattractive aboriginal! Never laugh at me again! Or I shall __kill every member of your family!"_

Azile sobbed, and her toes tried to reach the floor in vain.  Zurg got more furious and pressed her tiny body against the wall, "As soon as Darkmatter is here, we shall teach you how to behave! There are various interesting torture tools in Agent Z's right arm! Ah, this village is full of savages, worthless wretched savages!"

Azile felt now infuriated, too, and found the strength to reply. From the middle of her tears she yelled, "You are so abominable! So detestable! _You are the savage, not me! We saved your evil-possessed soul from the certain death, but what do you give for us in return? Nothing but worry and hurry! Go away from here! We did not want you here! __Go!" _

With these words, she kicked the Emperor hard on the stomach with her knee. It did not hurt him, however, but only made her feel tinier than before. Zurg looked in her angry, glimmering eyes that were full of loathe and hatred, "You are right, I might as well go, then."

"Best news I have ever heard!"

He dropped the feeble woman indifferently onto the floor and she fell down on her knees. Then he turned his back on her and began to dress on a woolen pullover and boots. 

"Y-you are r-really going?" Azile brokenly whispered, "Where?"

Zurg did not look at her but said with a low chest-tone, "Worry not about that, Miss Gnir. You have worried enough. Now I know exactly what I need to do. Thank you for this clarifying chat."

And he traipsed out of the room into the garden. Azile went to look after him, and she saw how the dark man jumped over the bush fence into the shades of the woodland. He was gone.

"What's this?" Azile grit her fingernails, "What's he going to do!"

The following night was one endless nightmare for Azile Gnir. First, her mother and father had blamed _her for this event, they said it was her fault that he was gone. __Were they not happy, then? No. They were very dissatisfied. They were both disappointed with the behavior of their daughter, as well as they were afraid what evil things would follow. _

Secondly, Warp Darkmatter returned home. He marched into Zurg's bedroom, found it empty, and went silent. He did not speak a word to anybody during the whole evening; he did not eat, did not do anything but lie on the coach, watching the nightly sky from the window. His air was full of ferocity, flames! His eyes told he held the family responsible for the episode, but he did not lift a finger to revenge. He just sat still, as if waiting for something.

Also Adelante would not speak with Azile. She was mad, she had lost her good mood, for she had lost the fun of teasing Darkmatter that evening. She was also ashamed of her sister, she was afraid of the possibility that the incident would spread into the village, and people would start considering the Gnir House impolite. They could even take the leadership away from their father, before it was the time for the next ballot vote, and that would be a real shame! But it was a hard crime to send away an injured guest, and anything could happen.

And Azile was sad. Really sad. She was miserable that nobody wanted to be on her side. She regretted that she had spoken with words she did not even know she knew. It was a general rule in Maito to be always happy, always polite, always attentive. And Azile had broken it severely. Head leaning down, she left the Gnir House, towards her own empty home.

Before the midnight, it started raining. Little raindrops, then bigger. A little shower, then a storm. Azile rolled in her bed, thinking about how Emperor Zurg would survive. Had he found a shelter of some kind? Recklessly the woman closed her eyes and gained a slight state of sleeping. 

_Candlelight… The dim room… somebody is hurt… somebody lies next to her. Striking features, giving off darkness. Then suddenly a cozy wooden room… No furniture around, only one large mirror. Shadows grow… Shadows. And there, a man, tall and mighty. He comes closer, lifts her up like she was made of down. And just when he is about to kiss her, he disappears. Like wisp of smoke in the air. And she falls down. She falls, falls, falls…_

"No! No! Don't go!" Azile jumped up, with her fine pajama glued onto her skin. Her breaths were quick and tense, her hands were sweating. "Oh… It was only a nightmare, only a dream…" 

A bolt of thunder enlightened the sky, and her bedroom went white. She approached the window and tried to distinguish the road, which led towards her parent's house. The storm had wiped it away. 

Emperor Zurg had sauntered in the woodland for many hours, without knowing his destination nor his reasons for escaping. The sky-scraping trees had made him feel insignificant; a feeling he had never known before. He had walked heedlessly around, trying to rage out all his fury, his disgust, his hatred. 

Finally, at the sunset, he had found the old, woodless moor at the feet of the threatening mountains, blazing with brilliant colors of red, violet and orange. He had sat down on the soft mattress of heather, and let the cool marine breeze comfort his feelings. An astounding vista had spread in front of his eyes; far beneath the stormy ocean with foam-crested waves, the low-gliding, gray clouds and three miserable, wet eagles flying trough the miasma. Behind, the hardwood forest, with its uninviting secrets. Everything around him had been gray and elegiac. And then, it had started to rain.

But Zurg had not ran away from the drizzle. He had only lifted his face towards the sky and let the pure gentle raindrops wash away the poison from his polluted mind. 

"Ah… I have not been in the mercy of nature for a long, long time… Actually, never before I ended up here, on Naboor", he sighed, and his aged features seemed to get a new kind of gleam. "At Z, there is no ocean… No trees… Not this magnificent, malevolent spectacle of natural world… No annoying women… Gruhh… I find this planet appealing, although it's galling me with its beauty!"

And the minutes, the hours glided by. Zurg had nothing to do but to admire the tempest, to think about his own life, to compare it with the lives of the people who lived here. He thought about his times past, the painful incidents of the distant years of youth, the time of chaos and power as the Emperor of Zeta Quadrant. _Who was he now? What had he become here? Zurg woke up to the thought that he was turning good. He got terrified and shouted, pulling his hair,_

"Trough the imperial metallic forests! I cannot forget who I am! I am EVIL EMPEROR ZURG! The forceful dictator of Zeta Quadrant, the worst enemy of the decent world! I am Emperor Zurg, the powerful, almighty, intelligent and handsome… AAARGGH!"

_You are just and old man, you are weak-minded, impolite, harsh-looking and out of date. Look in the mirror, Zurg… Jerk… Jerk… Jerk… Azile's little pet name started to holler in his brains._

"STOP THAT! I am the hard, calculating, wise, witty, strong ruler of the purple worlds, I am… AARGHS!"

Again, something inside him made him quit the sentence. _I am your conscience, Zored Lighteyar… Listen to me… Listen to your heart… Listen carefully…_

The wails of the hundreds of aliens he had murdered, tortured, oppressed and insulted during the past three decades now flooded back into his mind, filling his senses with their strident and hollow voices. Hundreds of pairs of eyes, full of tears, agony, fear and pain, shaded with panic and pleading regards… They all now emerged in his vision, telling him their sad stories, reminding him of the miserable fates of their owners. _Zurg… Zurg…Who are you? What have you done? What would your mother say?_

"Mother… Nana..." the old man blurted silently.

Only the lonely maritime wind was there to console him now, dry his tears with gentle wafts. 

"Nana Zurg..."

He shook his head. Nana Zurg was not real. She was a phantom, an imagined being. The creation of a young, self-made emperor, who still needed his mother's love and care… and who could not get it. Nana Zurg… She was a ghost, a faint hallucination in Emperor Zurg's mind, in his heart. He had never let go of his mother.

"My mother… forgive me, Zoshephina… Forgive me… I just can not let you go…"

_You must, child… Zurg, you are still a little boy, playing with toys… except that your toys are rather deadly. Hornets are not toys, Zurg. You must let your mother go, let your childhood go…_

"I cannot! I need her!"

But his conscience would not allow him to flee. All his evil creations, like the hornets, the hyper death ray, and the various torture devices, now seemed to turn against himself, for he felt the burn of the ray on his skin, the pain of the poisons inside his heart, the rockets of the robot warriors exploding in his stomach. _You grew  up too early, Zurg. Now…Go back in your past, and let your beloved ones go. Don't mourn in the history… Think about what you still have got._

"I have got nothing! NOTHING! Not even my empire, anymore…"

_Do not be blind, Zored… The voice of the little gentle pixie turned into a fragile whisper, __There is… another… Lightyear…_

Zurg found himself crying like a baby. "Another Lightyear…"

The rain got heavier, like did his flooding tears. The clouds battled together, beat each other with lightning bolts. Zurg looked up at them and admired the power of the nature. "Buzz… I want you to know…"

The figure of an old windmill in the distance seemed to disappear in the fog, but it did not. The world had changed, yet stayed the same. Emperor Zurg held the newborn feelings of  benevolence tightly in his heart, weeping at the beauty of the furious night. 

…to be continued… 


End file.
